title: Trace elements and cell-mediated immunity in gestational and pre-gestational diabetes mellitus at third trimester of pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the correlations between Zn2+, Cu2+, Mg2+, Se2+ and Cr3+ and alteration in T cell subsets during diabetic and normal pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 63 women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GD) and 16 pregnant women with Type 2 diabetes and 48 healthy, non-pregnant women were included as controls. Ten ml of whole venous blood from each participant was analyzed for electrolytes by atomic absorption; total antioxidant activity, individual enzymatic antioxidants by spectrophotometry; and lymphocyte sub-populations by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant changes in lymphocyte sub-populations: Naïve T cells were decreased and memory T-cells and activated T cells (CD4+HLA-DR+, CD4+CD29+) were increased in diabetes in pregnancy. Zn2+ and Cr3+ deficiency were observed in Type 2 diabetics with an increase in Cu2+ in all pregnant cohorts. In healthy pregnant subjects, CD4+-HLA-DR+ was increased in direct proportion to serum Mg2+ (p<0.05) and Se2+ (p<0.01). In insulin-treated GD patients, CD4+CD29+ cells were increased proportionally to serum Zn2+ (p<0.05) while in diet controlled GD cohort CD45RO+/ CD45RA+ T cells correlated directly with serum Mg (p<0.05) and Zn2+ (p<0.01) while it correlated inversely with serum Cu2+ (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study show a correlation between trace element deficiency and increased lipid peroxidation in diabetes in pregnancy and lymphocyte activation. Dietary manipulation may, therefore, point to improvement in existing approaches to management of diabetes mellitus in pregnancy.
authors: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kuwait University, Kuwait. fadia@hsc.edu.kw
authors: Fadia
authors: F
authors: Mahmoud
authors: Habib
authors: H
authors: Abul
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Dashti
authors: Waleed
authors: W
authors: Al-Jassar
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Omu
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D012016:Reference Values; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000378:metabolism*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D007328:Insulin; D014131:Trace Elements