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Maternal plasma and amniotic fluid coenzyme Q10 levels in preterm and term gestations: a pilot study

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Abstract

Objective

To measure maternal plasma and amniotic fluid coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) levels in preterm and term gestations.

Study design

This pilot study comprised a convenience sample of 72 women admitted for labor with singleton live gestations and intact membranes (preterm n = 27 and term n = 45).

Results

Median [interquartile range] maternal plasma CoQ10 levels did not differ among the studied women (preterm, 0.47 [0.12] vs. term, 0.47 [0.23] mmol/L, p = 0.90). Overall CoQ10 amniotic fluid levels were nearly tenfold lower than those found in maternal plasma, with a significant lower level observed among those delivering preterm (0.050 [0.05] vs. 0.062 [0.04] mmol/L, p = 0.007). Multiple linear regression analysis controlling for several covariates determined a significant correlation between amniotic fluid CoQ10 levels and neonatal gestational age.

Conclusion

This is the first study to assess CoQ10 levels in amniotic fluid during pregnancy in which levels were significantly lower among those delivering preterm. More research is warranted in this regard.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biomedicina, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador

    Enrique Terán, Marcia Racines-Orbe & Sandra Vivero

  2. Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, P.O. Box 17-03-4716, Quito, Ecuador

    Enrique Terán

  3. Hospital Gineco-Obstétrico Isidro Ayora, Quito, Ecuador

    Jorge Toapanta, Linda Valdivieso, Zulema Vega & Walter Moya

  4. Instituto de Biomedicina, Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Ecuador

    Peter Chedraui

  5. Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Hospital Clínico de Zaragoza, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    Faustino R. Pérez-López

Authors
  1. Enrique Terán
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  2. Marcia Racines-Orbe
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  3. Jorge Toapanta
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  4. Linda Valdivieso
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  5. Zulema Vega
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  6. Sandra Vivero
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  7. Walter Moya
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  8. Peter Chedraui
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  9. Faustino R. Pérez-López
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Correspondence to Enrique Terán.

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Terán, E., Racines-Orbe, M., Toapanta, J. et al. Maternal plasma and amniotic fluid coenzyme Q10 levels in preterm and term gestations: a pilot study. Arch Gynecol Obstet 283 (Suppl 1), 67–71 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-011-1894-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-011-1894-x

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