http://dx.doi.org/10.5455/2320-1770.ijrcog20140617 Volume 3 · Issue 2 Page 370 International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology Kanagal DV et al. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol. 2014 Jun;3(2):370-373 www.ijrcog.org pISSN 2320-1770 | eISSN 2320-1789 Research Article Zinc and copper levels in preeclampsia: a study from coastal South India Deepa V. Kanagal*, Aparna Rajesh, Kavyarashmi Rao, Harish Shetty, Prasanna Kumar Shetty, Harshinidevi Ullal INTRODUCTION Preeclampsia is one of the important diseases of pregnancy. It complicates 7% to 10% of all pregnancies and is a leading cause of both maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. 1 Preeclampsia is defined as a combination of high blood pressure (hypertension), swelling (edema) and protein in the urine (proteinuria) developing after the 20 th week of pregnancy. 2 The etiology of this relatively common medical complication of pregnancy however remains unknown. 2 Hypertensive disorders account for 40000 maternal deaths annually. 3 It stands next to hemorrhage and embolism among pregnancy related cause of death. 4 The greatest impact is in developing countries, where it accounts for 20 - 80% of the strikingly increased maternal mortality. 5 Preeclampsia is more common in developing countries due to their low dietary intake of essential minerals and vitamins. Pregnant women in developing countries have been reported to consume diets that are low in minerals and vitamins. 6 An inadequate dietary intake might be Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, K. S. Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore, Karnataka, India Received: 27 March 2014 Accepted: 14 April 2014 *Correspondence: Dr. Deepa V. Kanagal, E-mail: deepakanagal@yahoo.co.in © 2014 Kanagal DV et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. ABSTRACT Background: Preeclampsia is one of the major causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Though the etiology is obscure, studies indicate the role of oxidative stress and antioxidants may have a role in the prevention of preeclampsia. Micronutrients such as copper and zinc are involved in the antioxidant defense mechanism. Methods: The present study was undertaken in a medical college hospital in coastal South India to assess the serum levels of zinc and copper in women with preeclampsia and to compare them with normal pregnant women. The blood samples from 60 preeclamptic women and an equal number of controls were analyzed for zinc and copper levels. Outcome of pregnancy was analyzed and compared. Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Comparison of levels of the elements between the two groups was performed by independent t test and Chi square test and P value of <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The serum zinc and copper levels were significantly lower in the preeclamptic group compared to the normotensives. Also preeclamptic women were older, their BMI was higher and birth weight of babies lower compared to normotensives. Conclusions: Increased knowledge about the importance of specific antioxidant micronutrients and their part in successful pregnancy outcome should be the focus for future health strategies. Low levels of maternal copper and zinc are related to preeclampsia and might have a causal role in this disease. Further investigation is needed to establish the role of these elements in this dangerous condition of pregnancy. Keywords: Copper, Micronutrients, Nutrition, Preeclampsia, Zinc DOI: 10.5455/2320-1770.ijrcog20140617