Status of Retinoids and Carotenoids and Associations with Clinical Outcomes in Maternal-Infant Pairs in Nigeria

Abstract

Vitamin A is an essential nutrient in pregnancy, and other carotenoids have been independently associated with maternal-infant outcomes. The objective of this study was to quantify the status of vitamin A and carotenoids in Nigerian maternal-infant pairs at delivery, compare these to a cohort from a developed nation, and determine the impact on clinical outcomes. Maternal and cord blood samples were collected in 99 Nigerian mother-infant pairs. Concentrations of lutein + zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, α- and β-carotenes, and retinol were measured using HPLC. Descriptive statistics were calculated and Spearman coefficients were used to assess correlations between maternal and cord measurements; Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare median plasma values between dichotomous variables. Linear regression models were used to adjust for relevant confounders. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Thirty-five percent of mothers had plasma retinol concentrations ≤0.70 µmol/L; 82% of infants had plasma retinol concentrations ≤0.70 µmol/L at delivery. Maternal and infant concentrations of vitamin A compounds were highly correlated and were associated with newborn growth and Apgar scores. Despite plasma concentrations of pro-vitamin A carotenoids higher than those reported in other populations, pregnant Nigerian women have a high prevalence of vitamin A deficiency. As vitamin A related compounds are modifiable by diet, future research determining the clinical impact of these compounds is warranted.

Quantification of Lutein + Zeaxanthin Presence in Human Placenta and Correlations with Blood Levels and Maternal Dietary Intake

“…Umbilical cord blood L + Z levels in this study (converted to median 0.06 micromol/L (mcmol/L) or 34.8 ng/mL) were lower than previous reports of 0.10 mcmol/L [26] in umbilical cord blood, but higher than levels of 24.2 ng/mL in newborn serum [28]. Results indicate a maternal to fetal transfer rate of L + Z at 16.0%, higher than any other carotenoid in this study but still on lower than most past literature reports of 15.1–29.4% [26,27,28,29]. Notably however, L + Z consisted of 18.6% of carotenoids in maternal blood, but 37.0% in umbilical cord blood.…”

“…However, levels have also been detected in multiple other areas of the body including the skin, breast, uterus, ovary, testes, adrenals, pancreas, spleen, heart, and thyroid [23,24,25]. Lutein and zeaxanthin have been identified in maternal and fetal blood, but transfer rates remain relatively low at 15.1–29.4% [26,27,28,29]. Only limited research has assessed carotenoid presence in placenta, but never of lutein or zeaxanthin [30].…”

Vitamin A and Pregnancy: A Narrative Review

“…Vitamin A is important for the pregnant woman and for the fetus, being essential for the maintenance of maternal night vision and fetal ocular health besides the development of other organs and the fetal skeleton and maintenance of the fetal immune system [17,63,86,87]. Maternal and infant concentrations of vitamin A compounds have been associated with neonatal outcome [88]. In this section, the effects of maternal vitamin A levels during pregnancy on fetal and perinatal health are discussed, with a focus on studies published in the last decade together with the classical references on the theme.…”

SNP rs6564851 in the BCO1 Gene Is Associated with Varying Provitamin a Plasma Concentrations but Not with Retinol Concentrations among Adolescents from Rural Ghana

“…However, the total plasma carotenoid concentrations (median: 2.8 (2.2–3.8) µmol/L) and β-carotene concentrations (1.49 (1.12–2.22) µmol/L) were three times higher than the reference values [ 14 , 15 ]. This was also seen among Nigerian mother–child pairs, who showed lower retinol and higher plasma carotenoid concentrations than mother–child pairs in the United States [ 16 ].…”