Metals/Vitamins Levels in NTD

Overview

Introduction: Heavy metals important pollutants produced from anthropogenic activities, has been suggested to be embryotoxic and fetotoxic in a lot of studies. The aims of this study were to determine the levels of trace elements and heavy metals, namely folic acid, zinc (Zn), molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V), strontium (Sr), aluminium (Al), tin (Sn), antimony (Sb), mercury (Hg), calcium (Ca), iron ( Fe), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), barium (B) and selenium (Se), in the amniotic fluid of pregnant women, and to investigate their relationship with neural tube defects (NTDs). Methods: The study will be included 70 pregnant women whose fetuses were complicated with NTDs (study group) and 70 pregnant women with unaffected healthy fetuses (control group). The samples levels of elements and vitamins will be measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and will be compared between the two groups.

Detailed Description: This observational case-control study will be conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cengiz Gokcek Public Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey, between August 2020 and March 2021. The protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee for Clinical Research of Gaziantep University (reference no: 2020/167). The study strictly will be adhered to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. All women will be provided written informed consent before the acquisition of all samples. The study will be included 140 pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis at the investigator's perinatology department. The study group will be included 70 pregnant women whose fetuses were found to have congenital NTDs (eg, anencephaly, spina bifida, acrania, and encephalocele) on detailed ultrasonographic examinations between 16 and 37 weeks of pregnancy. The control group included pregnant women with healthy fetuses (n = 70), who were matched for gestational weeks and maternal age and underwent amniocentesis because of age-related risk or increased risk in the triple test. Then, this study will be determined maternal plasma/urine/hair, and amniotic fluid folic acid, zinc (Zn), molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V), strontium (Sr), aluminium (Al), tin (Sn), antimony (Sb), mercury (Hg), calcium (Ca), iron ( Fe), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), barium (B) and selenium (Se) concentrations in women with NTD compared to those of volunteer healthy pregnant women.