Relationship between low maternal vitamin D status and the risk of severe preeclampsia: A case control study

Low maternal vitamin D status has been associated with several adverse outcomes during pregnancy.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the vitamin D levels in preeclamptic and healthy pregnant women
and the role of vitamin D deficiency in the etiology of preeclampsia.
Methods: In this case-control study, 80 preeclamptic women and 80 healthy pregnant women were selected from
Motahari hospital in Urmia, Iran. 2 ml of venous blood sample was collected from each pregnant woman and the
serum 25-OH-D level was measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and reported in nanograms
per milliliter. levels of 25-OH-D less than 10 ng mL−1, between 10 ng mL−1 and 29 ng mL−1 and more
than 30 ng mL−1, were considered as deficient, insufficient and normal 25-OH-D concentrations, respectively.
Results were analyzed by independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and logistic regression.
Results: Preeclamptic women (n=80) were noted to have decreased total 25-OH-D levels relative to healthy
control women (n=80; P=0.01). This difference in total 25-OH-D remained significant after control for potential
confounders [odds ratio (OR)=4.79, confidence interval (CI)=1.45–9.87, P=0.01].
Conclusion: These results showed that vitamin D deficiency has a statistically significant relationship with
preeclampsia and support the hypothesis that vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for preeclampsia