Serum Levels of Vitamin C, Beta-Carotenes, and Malonyl Dialdehyde in Pre-eclamptic and Healthy Pregnant Women in Enugu, Nigeria: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

A bstract Background: The imbalance between free radicals and antioxidant vitamins has been suggested as a central feature in the pathogenesis and key to the prevention of pre-eclampsia. Objective: To determine the mean serum levels of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and malondialdehyde (MDA) in pre-eclamptic women and compare them to those of healthy pregnant women in Enugu, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study of 82 pre-eclamptic and 82 healthy pregnant women matched for age groups, gestational age groups, and parity groups were recruited from various tertiary care hospitals in Enugu from August 2016 to July 2017. The participants’ serum samples were analyzed for vitamins C, beta-carotene, and MDA spectrophotometrically. Data generated were analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Science Version 22.0 using chi-square, Student t test, and logistic regression for further analysis. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean serum levels of vitamin C (19.54 ± 0.48 µmol/L) and beta-carotene (6.52 ± 1.69 µmol/L) were significantly lower in the pre-eclamptic group compared to those in the controls (144.06 ± 1.66 µmol/L, and 10.83 ± 1.61 µmol/L) respectively ( p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). Also, the mean serum level of MDA in pre-eclamptic women (1.77 ± 0.70 µmol/L) was significantly higher than that in the control (1.46 ± 0.64 µmol/L) ( p = 0.004). Low serum levels of vitamin C were more significantly associated with severe pre-eclampsia ( p = 0.034). Conclusion: Pre-eclampsia is associated with low mean serum levels of vitamin C and beta-carotene and high mean serum levels of MDA among pre-eclamptic pregnant women in Enugu.