Arch Gynecol Obstet (2011) 283 (Suppl 1):S67–S71 DOI 10.1007/s00404-011-1894-x 123 SHORT COMMUNICATION Maternal plasma and amniotic Xuid coenzyme Q10 levels in preterm and term gestations: a pilot study Enrique Terán · Marcia Racines-Orbe · Jorge Toapanta · Linda Valdivieso · Zulema Vega · Sandra Vivero · Walter Moya · Peter Chedraui · Faustino R. Pérez-López Received: 14 January 2011 / Accepted: 10 March 2011 / Published online: 29 March 2011  Springer-Verlag 2011 Abstract Objective To measure maternal plasma and amniotic Xuid coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) levels in preterm and term gestations. Study design This pilot study comprised a convenience sample of 72 women admitted for labor with singleton live gestations and intact membranes (preterm n = 27 and term n = 45). Results Median [interquartile range] maternal plasma CoQ10 levels did not diVer among the studied women (pre- term, 0.47 [0.12] vs. term, 0.47 [0.23] mmol/L, p = 0.90). Overall CoQ10 amniotic Xuid levels were nearly tenfold lower than those found in maternal plasma, with a signiW- cant lower level observed among those delivering preterm (0.050 [0.05] vs. 0.062 [0.04] mmol/L, p = 0.007). Multiple linear regression analysis controlling for several covariates determined a signiWcant correlation between amniotic Xuid CoQ10 levels and neonatal gestational age. Conclusion This is the Wrst study to assess CoQ10 levels in amniotic Xuid during pregnancy in which levels were signiWcantly lower among those delivering preterm. More research is warranted in this regard. Keywords Amniotic Xuid · Antioxidant · Coenzyme Q10 · Preterm delivery · Ubiquinone Introduction Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), also known as ubiquinone, is a natural antioxidant present in the blood and many tissues and Xuids [1, 2]. This small lipid molecule participates in cell energetic interchanges due to its hydrophobic features that allow free diVusion within the membrane. Acceptance of two electrons or release of two protons allows, respec- tively, its reduction to the ubiquinol form or ubiquinol’s oxidation back to the ubiquinone form. Thus, the CoQ10 system has a pivotal role within the mitochondrial mem- brane as a lipid-soluble carrier of both electrons and pro- tons through the redox cycle [3–5]. Clinical studies have demonstrated the eYcacy of CoQ10 as a therapeutical adjuvant in reproduction, inXammation-related states, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases [5–9]. Preeclampsia, preterm birth and adolescent pregnancies are among the most challenging problems in modern obstetrics [10–12]. CoQ10 may play a signiWcant antioxi- dant role at the placental site in normal or pathological pregnancies [13, 14]. Teran et al. [8] in a randomized dou- ble-blind placebo-controlled trial found that oral CoQ10 supplementation in pregnancy (20 weeks on) signiWcantly reduced the risk of developing preeclampsia. Maternal and E. Terán · M. Racines-Orbe · S. Vivero Centro de Biomedicina, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador E. Terán (&) Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, P.O. Box 17-03-4716, Quito, Ecuador e-mail: e_teran_uce@hotmail.com J. Toapanta · L. Valdivieso · Z. Vega · W. Moya Hospital Gineco-Obstétrico Isidro Ayora, Quito, Ecuador P. Chedraui Instituto de Biomedicina, Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Ecuador F. R. Pérez-López Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Hospital Clínico de Zaragoza, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain