Placental tissue iodine level and blood magnesium concentration in pre-eclamptic and normal pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To assess iodine concentration in the placental tissue and magnesium concentration in the blood of women with severe pre-eclampsia in northeast Anatolia and compare these values with those of healthy pregnant women from the same region.


METHODS
Placental tissue and blood specimens were obtained from 20 severely pre-eclamptic and 15 healthy pregnant women. Iodine levels in placental tissue were determined by the Foss method based on the Sandell-Kolthoff reaction.


RESULTS
Placental tissue iodine levels were lower in women with severe pre-eclampsia than in healthy pregnant women (4.30+/-1.36 ng of iodine/mg protein vs. 7.71+/-2.84 ng of iodine/mg tissue protein; P<0.001), as were blood magnesium levels (1.63+/-0.05 mg/dL vs. 1.87+/-0.05 mg/dL; P<0.001). There was a positive correlation between placental tissue iodine levels and blood magnesium levels in women with severe pre-eclampsia (r=0.55, P<0.05), but no such correlation was observed in healthy pregnant women (r=0.23, P=0.41).


CONCLUSIONS
Magnesium assimilation is known to be defective when iodine levels are insufficient. In northeast Anatolia, where iodine deficiency is common, clinical trials of iodine supplementation should be considered for pre-eclamptic therapy.
Gulaboglu
M
M
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ataturk University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey. gulaboglumine@yahoo.com
Borekci
B
B
Halici
Z
Z
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine / Q000032:analysis*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood*; D010920:Placenta / Q000737:chemistry*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014421:Turkey
D015415:Biomarkers; D007455:Iodine; D008274:Magnesium