Evaluation of Zinc and Homocysteine Status in Pregnant Women and Their Association with Pre-eclampsia in Jordan

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is considered a major complication of pregnancy. Hyperhomocyteinemia (H-Hcy) has been proposed to be associated with a number of placenta-mediated diseases, such as PE. Zinc (Zn) is involved in the regulation of total homocysteine (Hcy) levels. A case-control study design was used to examine serum Zn and Hcy statuses, and their association to PE risk. Thirty pregnant women with PE 21∼35 years of age, and 30 matched healthy pregnant women were recruited from Amman, Jordan. Plasma Hcy was measured using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and Zn was measured using atomic absorption. Hcy levels were significantly higher among women with PE compared with controls (16.35±0.43 and 7.25±0.21 μmol/L, respectively; P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in Zn levels between women with PE and controls (65.37±1.27 and 63.71±1.24 μg/dL, respectively; P>0.05). Blood levels of Hcy (μmol/L) were positively associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure (β=3.54 and β=1.81, respectively; P<0.05), and Zn levels [odds ratios (OR)=0.84; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.71∼0.98] were significantly associated with PE risk (P<0.05). Although women with PE had significantly higher Hcy levels than controls, H-Hcy was not associated with increased PE risk. However, there was a strong association between severity of hypertension and serum Hcy levels, and serum Zn levels were inversely associated with H-Hcy. The likelihood of PE was significantly higher in women who were Zn deficient compared with healthy controls. To conclude, early management of H-Hcy and associated risk factors may be effective in decreasing the incidence of PE.