Second trimester amniotic fluid retinol in patients developing preeclampsia.

Background: Retinol (ROH) is an essential micronutrient required for normal fetal development and an essential molecule for antioxidant processes. Objective: To investigate the putative role of ROH as a marker of preeclampsia in early second trimester amniotic fluid (AF). Materials and methods: Case–control study comparing the concentration of ROH and other antioxidants such as uric acid, vitamin E and malondialdehyde (MDA) in second trimester AF in patients that later developed preeclampsia with normal pregnancies. Results: The concentration of ROH in amniotic fluids of women that later developed preeclampsia was significantly higher than those of uncomplicated pregnancies (66.72 µg/l (49.00–70.56) vs. 44.4 µg/l (31.9–51.17), p < 0.05). No statistical significant difference was found in uric acid, vitamin E and MDA concentration. In the multivariate logistic regression, concentrations of ROH in amniotic fluids directly correlate with the risk of developing preeclampsia (OR 1.13, IC 0.01–1.26, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Second trimester AF ROH concentration was significantly higher in pregnancies that developed preeclampsia compared to normal pregnancies