Association between maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and the risk of pre-eclampsia in central Sudan: A case-control study

Background: There are few published data on the role of vitamin D concentrations during pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, the aim of the current study was to investigate the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH)]D) levels and pre-eclampsia. Method: A case-control study, with 60 women in each arm, was conducted in Medani Hospital in Sudan. The cases were women with pre-eclampsia and healthy pregnant women as controls. The medical and obstetric history was obtained using a questionnaire. The serum 25(OH)D concentrations were measured using ELISA. Results: The median (IQR) of 25(OH)D concentration was significantly lower in women with pre-eclampsia than in the controls (10.0 [6.5] vs 18.3 [22.1] ng/mL). Fifty-three cases with pre-eclampsia (88%) and 36 cases in the control group (60%) had vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D level≤20 ng/mL). Multivariate logistic regression showed that the 25(OH)D levels were negatively associated with pre-eclampsia (adjusted OR [AOR]=0.87, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.92). Vitamin D-deficient women were at a higher risk of pre-eclampsia (AOR=4.51, 95% CI 1.70 to 11.94). Conclusion: Low 25(OH)D levels were reported in women with pre-eclampsia and were an independent risk factor for pre-eclampsia.