COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SERUM CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM AND URIC ACID IN PREECLAMPSIA AND NORMAL PREGNANCY IN UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN TEACHING HOSPITAL

Abstract

Preeclamsia is pregnancy specific syndrome and contributes about 15% of
maternal mortality and preterm deliveries. It is characterized by elevated blood
pressure and significant protinuria in the second half of pregnancy with or without
edema. The aetiology of preeclampsia is yet not elucidated despite active clinical
research. The central pathology in preeclampsia is defective trophoblastic
endovascular invasion of the spiral arterioles, leading to increased vascular
resistance, placental ischemia; hypoperfusion and subsequent wide spread
endothelial damage that affects all the organ systems. Although many theories
have been proposed in the aetiology of preeclampsia, abnormal maternal serum
levels of calcium, magnesium and uric acid are implicated.
The objective of this study was to compare the serum levels of calcium, magnesium
and uric acid in mild preeclamptics, severe preeclamptics and normal pregnant
women. The study was a prospective case control cross sectional study conducted
at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the University of Ilorin
Teaching Hospital (UITH) Ilorin. The data were collected from 64 normal pregnant
women, 64 mild preeclamptic women and 64 severe preeclamptic women who
presented at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (UITH) between June
2011 and January 2012. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance
(ANOVA).
The mean serum calcium concentration in severe preeclamptics and mild
preeclamptics was significantly reduced compared with serum calcium
concentration in normal pregnant controls (1.75±0.63mmol/L and
1.90±0.44mmol/L versus 2.28±0.24mmol/L, p=0.00). The serum magnesium
concentration among severe preeclamptics was also significantly reduced
compared with serum magnesium among normal pregnant controls
(0.84±0.44mmol/L versus 1.05±0.28mmol/L, p=0.00). However there was no
statistically significant difference in serum magnesium concentration between mild
preeclamptic women and normal pregnant women (1.01±0.26mmol/L versus
1.05±0.28mmol/L, P=0.11). The serum uric acid concentration was significantly
elevated among both mild and severe preeclamptic women compared with the
serum uric acid concentration among normal pregnant control (0.89±0.63mmol/L
and 1.25±0.68mmo/L versus 0.21±0.19mmol/L P=0.035).
The study concluded that while reduced serum calcium levels and elevated serum
uric acid levels correlate with aetiopathogenesis of preeclampsia, reduced serum
magnesium correlates with severity of preeclampsia.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SERUM CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM AND URIC ACID IN PREECLAMPSIA AND NORMAL PREGNANCY IN UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN TEACHING HOSPITAL