Plasma and erythrocyte zinc in pre-eclampsia and its correlation with foetal outcome.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the plasma and erythrocyte zinc levels in women with preeclampsia and eclampsia after 28 weeks of gestation and compare with normal pregnancy and to correlate with the foetal outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 150 antenatal women were divided into Study group A (75 women with preeclampsia or eclampsia); Control group B (75 women with normal pregnancy). Plasma and erythrocyte zinc levels were estimated in both the groups and correlated with the foetal outcome. RESULTS: The plasma zinc levels were significantly low (p < 0.01) in women with severe pre-eclampsia (9.28 +/- 1.63 micromol/l) and eclampsia (9.28 +/- 2.61 micromol/l) as compared to controls (10.63 +/- 1.82 micromol/l). The difference in the erythrocyte zinc levels was not statistically significant in the two groups. There were 4 (5.33%) stillbirths and 8 (10.66%) neonatal deaths in the study group as compared to 2 (2.6%) neonatal deaths in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference in the plasma and erythrocyte zinc levels in infants weighing less than 2500 gm in both the groups.The maternal mortality rate was 1.33% and the overall perinatal mortality rate in the study group was 17.3% as compared to 2.6% in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma zinc levels were significantly lowered in severe preeclampsia and eclampsia while the erythrocyte zinc levels did not show any significant change. There was no correlation between plasma or erythrocyte zinc levels and intrauterine growth restriction in pre-eclampsia.