Background: The importance of vitamin D in bone health and calcium homeostasis has been well documented. However, emerging evidence supports the role of vitamin D beyond its recognised traditional roles. In pregnancy, vitamin D levels are crucial in sustaining both the maternal stores and optimal growth of the foetus. In Southern Africa, there is paucity of data on vitamin D in pregnancy and related outcomes. To expand this body of knowledge, we assessed vitamin D levels in late pregnancy and (if any) associated maternal determinants in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Methods: Study participants comprised of 138 pregnant Zimbabwean women in their third trimester. These were stratified by HIV status; sampling median (IQR) gestation for HIV negative study participants was 34 weeks (26-41) and 31 weeks (20-40) in the HIV positive participants. Maternal plasma 25 hydroxyvitamin (OH) Dlevels were measured using the ClinPrepHigh Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) kit. Statistical analysis was carried out using the STATA statistical package version 13. A p-value of < 0.05was considered to be statistically significant.
Results: HIV infected participants had significantly higher mean 25 (OH) D concentration (112 ± 33.4 nmol/L) compared to the HIV uninfected (100 ± 27.1 nmol/L), p = 0.032.Participants whose samples were collected during summer had higher maternal 25 (OH) D levels than those cART duration and maternal 25 (OH) D levels (p = 0.031, Spearman correlation =0.28).
Conclusions: Our findings show high mean levels of maternal 25 (OH) D in late pregnancy in our setting and in the absence of vitamin D supplementation. Both HIV infection and season are significant determinants of maternal vitamin D levels. Summer season is associated with higher maternal plasma 25 (OH) D levels. HIV infection is associated with increased maternal vitamin D levels. Prolonged use of cART, Tenolam E is associated with improved maternal 25(OH) D levels.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6599374 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12884-019-2362-z | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Efficacy of probiotic adjuvant therapy in women with major depressive disorder: insights from a case series study.
Pharmacol Rep
January 2025
Laboratory of Translational Physiology and Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Program, Vila Velha University (UVV), R Mercurio s/n, Vila Velha, ES, 29102623, Brazil.
Background: The therapeutic targeting of the intestinal microbiota has gained increasing attention as a promising avenue for addressing mood disorders. This study aimed to assess the potential effect of supplementing standard pharmacological treatment with the probiotic kefir in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).
Methods: Thirty-eight female participants diagnosed with moderate MDD by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) were selected to receive the probiotic kefir in conjunction with antidepressant therapy for 12 weeks.
Cluster analysis of sarcopenia in older adults: significant factors contributing to disease severity.
Eur Geriatr Med
January 2025
Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education "Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Separate structural unit "Russian Gerontology Research and Clinical Centre", 16 1st Leonova Street, Moscow, Russia, 129226.
Introduction: The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) defines sarcopenia as a muscle disease (muscle failure) rooted in adverse muscle changes that accrue across a lifetime; sarcopenia is common among adults of older age. New findings on the hormonal and metabolic characteristics of patients with sarcopenia have aided in developing more targeted therapeutic strategies. However, treating older patients with sarcopenia still poses a number of challenges.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDietary Compounds in the Prevention of Arsenic Induced Intestinal Toxicity .
J Med Food
January 2025
Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA-CSIC), Paterna (Valencia), Spain.
Recent studies show that inorganic arsenic (As) exerts a toxic effect on the intestinal epithelium, causing a significant increase in its permeability. This disruption of the epithelial barrier may favor the entry of contaminants or toxins into the systemic circulation, thus causing toxicity not only at the intestinal level but possibly also at the systemic level. The present study conducts an evaluation of the protective effect of various dietary supplements and plant extracts against the intestinal toxicity of inorganic As.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Relationship Between Novel Inflammatory Markers and Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Among US Adults.
Immun Inflamm Dis
January 2025
Department of Cardiology, Anqing First People's Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anqing, China.
Background: Vitamin D is the focus of extensive medical research globally. Recent studies have investigated the correlation between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and common inflammatory markers. However, few studies have incorporated novel inflammatory markers such as the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), platelet-to-high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (PHR), systemic inflammatory index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), systemic inflammatory response (SIRI), and neutrophil-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHR).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn Unusual Case of Hemolytic Anemia: A Case Report.
Cureus
December 2024
Internal Medicine, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Lisboa, PRT.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is a potentially severe condition with clinical manifestations ranging from nonspecific symptoms, such as asthenia and glossitis, to severe hematological problems, including pancytopenia and megaloblastic anemia. One of the rare phenomena associated with this condition is pseudo-thrombotic microangiopathy (pseudo-TMA), which can mimic diseases such as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), leading to possible misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. In this article, we present the case of a 62-year-old man with a history of intravenous drug use, untreated hepatitis C, smoking, and alcoholism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!