Relationship between serum zinc levels and pre eclampsia at the University Teaching Hospital Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract

Pre eclampsia is one of the common conditions in the pregnant mothers in Zambia. This condition has been shown in some studies to be associated with increased oxidative stress. This study aimed at evaluating the association of zinc, an important cofactor in the antioxidant metalloproteins in the aetiology of pre eclampsia.A comparative cross-sectional study design was employed on conveniently sampled 41 pre eclamptic and 57 non-pre eclamptic pregnant women over a four month period at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Serum samples from participants were analysed for Zinc concentration by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Results showed that there was no significant difference in the mean serum Zinc levels between the pre eclamptic and the non pre eclamptic pregnant women.Based on the findings, it was concluded that serum zinc level is not associated with the occurrence of pre eclampsia .