Transformations - Serum Carotenoids and Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Women With Type 1 Diabetes and Preeclam

OBJECTIVEIncreased oxidative stress and immune dysfunction are implicated in preeclampsia (PE) and may contribute to the two- to fourfold increase in PE prevalence among women with type 1 diabetes. Prospective measures of fat-soluble vitamins in diabetic pregnancy are therefore of interest.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSMaternal serum carotenoids (α- and β-carotene, lycopene, and lutein) and vitamins A, D, and E (α- and -tocopherols) were measured at first (12.2 ± 1.9 weeks [mean ± SD], visit 1), second (21.6 ± 1.5 weeks, visit 2), and third (31.5 ± 1.7 weeks, visit 3) trimesters of pregnancy in 23 women with type 1 diabetes who subsequently developed PE (DM PE+) and 24 women with type 1 diabetes, matched for age, diabetes duration, HbA1c, and parity, who did not develop PE (DM PE–). Data were analyzed without and with adjustment for baseline differences in BMI, HDL cholesterol, and prandial status.
RESULTS
In unadjusted analysis, in DM PE+ versus DM PE–, α-carotene and β-carotene were 45 and 53% lower, respectively, at visit 3 (P < 0.05), before PE onset. In adjusted analyses, the difference in β-carotene at visit 3 remained significant. Most participants were vitamin D deficient (