plasma level of vitamin c in women with pre-eclampsia in ardabil, iran

background: pre-eclampsia, a vascular disorder of pregnancy, is a leading cause of maternal morbidity as well as perinatal morbidity and mortality. the cause of pre-eclampsia remains largely unknown. accumulating evidences from clinical and epidemiological studies suggest that diffuse endothelial dysfunction, resulting from oxidative stress, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. independent effect of maternal biological markers, such as elevated triglyceride or low plasma vitamin c (ascorbic acid) concentrations are related to increased pre-eclampsia risk. objectives: the aim of this study was to determine plasma concentrations of vitamin c in women with pre-eclampsia. materials and methods: this cross-sectional, case controlled study comprises 40 pre-eclamptic and 80 normo-tensive pregnant women of singleton gestations in third trimester, in allavi hospital, ardabil, iran. blood samples (5ml) were collected aseptically in heparin tube, and the plasma concentration of vitamin c was determined by spectrophotometric method . spss software package was used for analyzing the data. results: plasma vitamin c level was found to be significantly lower (p<0.001) in the pre-eclampsia group than this level in the control group. vitamin c levels in the pre-eclampsia group were found to be influenced by their maternal age (p<0.01), and was positively related to the gestational age (p<0.01). conclusion: knowledge from this study may contribute to the development and evaluation of behavioral and medical interventions aimed at reducing the occurrence of pre-eclampsia