title: Relation between serum folate status and blood mercury concentrations in pregnant women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the relation between maternal serum folate status and blood mercury in pregnant Korean women.
  
  
  METHODS
  The nutritional status of folate and the blood mercury concentration were measured in pregnant Korean women who participated in a multicenter prospective study from 2006 through 2011. We analyzed existing blood mercury data based on serum folate status at two gestational time points (mid and late pregnancy, n = 1105 and 841, respectively).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum folate concentrations in pregnant women were negatively associated with blood mercury concentrations at mid and late pregnancy (P trend = 0.012 and 0.002, respectively). A general linear model developed after adjusting for covariates indicated a significant negative association between the two at mid and late pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found a negative association between serum folate and blood mercury concentrations in pregnant Korean women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Science and Food Management, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyesook
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ki-Nam
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji-Yun
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Eun-Hee
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Hyesook
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Yangho
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yun-Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Namsoo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D056910:Republic of Korea
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid; D008628:Mercury