The relationship between changes in vitamin A, vitamin E, and oxidative stress levels, and pregnancy outcomes in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common complications during pregnancy. This study aims to analyze the relationship between the changes in vitamin A, vitamin E, and oxidative stress levels, and pregnancy outcomes in GDM patients.

Methods: A total of 104 GDM patients admitted to our hospital between January 2018 and January 2019 were selected as the study group, and 126 pregnant women who received healthy examinations in the same hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. Vitamin A, E, and oxidative stress [total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), malondialdehyde (MDA), red blood cell glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)] between the two groups were compared. Age, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), pre-pregnancy waist-to-hip ratio (waist/hip circumference), parity, gravidity, glycosylated hemoglobin, and other related index levels were collected for the GDM patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors affecting the pregnancy outcomes of the GDM patients.

Results: The levels of vitamin A, SOD, GSH, and TAOC in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group, and the levels of vitamin E and MDA were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Of the 104 GDM patients, 43 had adverse pregnancy outcomes, and 61 had no adverse pregnancy outcomes. There was a significant difference between the adverse and non-adverse pregnancy outcome groups in the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin, vitamin A, vitamin E, MDA, SOD, GSH, and TAOC (P<0.05). Analysis of the unconditional multivariate logistic regression model showed that the expression levels of glycosylated hemoglobin, vitamin A, vitamin E, MDA, SOD, GSH, and TAOC were independent risk factors affecting the pregnancy outcomes of GDM patients (P<0.05).

Conclusions: Vitamin A, E, and oxidative stress levels are abnormally expressed in GDM, and are independent risk factors affecting the pregnancy outcomes in GDM patients. Therefore, the clinical monitoring of oxidative stress levels and vitamin supplementation should be increased, as these may be of great significance in improving pregnancy outcomes in GDM patients.