Abstract
Goal: The present study aimed to determine the profile of seric calcium and magnesium in pre-eclamptic and eclamptic pregnant women of Kinshasa province in the Democratic Republic of Congo where preeclampsia is characterized not only by a high incidence, but also by a seasonal variation probably related to nutritional intake. Study Design: This is a case-control study that took place during the period from September 2014 to March 2015 in four quaternary and tertiary maternity hospitals in Kinshasa. A total of 113 healthy pregnant women (controls) and 112 pre-eclamptic and eclamptic pregnant women (cases) were included in this study. Seric calcium and magnesium were measured in all these gravidas by the principle of spectrophotometry with a HUMALYSER Primus semi-automaton. Results: The mean age of those gravidas was 26.8 ± 6.3 years (26.7 vs 26.9, p = 0.11). The majority of these gravidas were primiparous. The mean gestational age in both groups was 31.35 ± 0.9 weeks (32.1 vs 30.6, p = 0.21). The average seric calcium value was 4.47 ± 0.23 mEq /L in healthy pregnant women compared to 3.80 ± 0.71 mEq/l in pre-eclamptics (P 0.001). The mean of seric magnesium was 1.56 ± 0.15 mg/dL in healthy pregnant women compared to 1.20 ± 0.41 mg/dL in pre eclamptics (P 0.001). Seric calcium and magnesium values were low in the pre-eclamptic group and lower in the eclamptic group (P 0.001). Conclusion: This study establishes a relationship between the low concentration of seric calcium and magnesium with pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, which could be one of the determinants of the high prevalence and seasonality of the disease in Kinshasa.
Highlights
Preeclampsia affects 3% - 10% of pregnancies and is responsible for a large maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality worldwide [1]
Goal: The present study aimed to determine the profile of seric calcium and magnesium in pre-eclamptic and eclamptic pregnant women of Kinshasa province in the Democratic Republic of Congo where preeclampsia is characterized by a high incidence, and by a seasonal variation probably related to nutritional intake
The average seric calcium value was 4.47 ± 0.23 mEq /L in healthy pregnant women compared to 3.80 ± 0.71 mEq/l in pre-eclamptics (P < 0.001)
Summary
Preeclampsia affects 3% - 10% of pregnancies and is responsible for a large maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality worldwide [1]. The oxidative stress generated by hypoxia is a major component in the set of mechanisms that contribute to the occurrence of this condition and associated complications, studies in the most affected regions in Africa and Asia have established a relationship between low intakes of certain micronutrients and the occurrence of the disease, which would probably be one of the determinants of the high prevalence and seasonality of the disease in these regions of the world [2]-[7] Some of these studies indicate that nutritional deficiency of calcium and magnesium is associated with a high risk of preeclampsia and its complications [8]. By stimulating the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, hypoxia promotes the penetration of calcium into the cellule reversing the intracellular Mg/Ca ratio, resulting in significant cellular alterations with consequent release of oxygen free radicals, generalized endothelial dysfunction and the release of certain neuromediators causing preeclampsia and eclampsia [9] [10].
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