Placental tissue iodine level and blood magnesium concentration in pre-eclamptic and normal pregnancy

Objective: To assess iodine concentration in the placental tissue and magnesium concentration in the blood of women with severe pre-eclampsia in northeast Anatolia and compare these values with those of healthy pregnant women f rom the same region. Methods: Placental tissue and blood specimens were obtained from 20 severely pre-ectamptic and 15 healthy pregnant women. Iodine levels in placental, tissue were determined by the Foss method based on the Sandell-Kolthoff reaction. Results: Placenta[ tissue iodine levels were lower in women with severe pre-eclampsia than in healthy pregnant women (4.30 +/- 1.36 ng of iodine/mg protein vs. 7.71 +/- 2.84 ng of iodine/mg tissue protein; P < 0.001), as were blood magnesium levels (1.63 +/- 0.05 mg/dL vs. 1.87 +/- 0.05 mg/dL; P<0.001). There was a positive correlation between placenta[ tissue iodine levels and blood magnesium levels in women with severe pre-eclampsia (r= 0. 55, P< 0.05), but no such correlation was observed in healthy pregnant women (r=0.23, P=0.41). Conclusion: Magnesium assimilation is known to be defective when iodine levels are insufficient. In northeast Anatolia, where iodine deficiency is common, clinical trials of iodine supplementation should be considered for pre-ectamptic therapy. (c) 2007 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. AR rights reserved.