Skip to main content

Table 3 Serum concentration distributions of select biochemical indicators for pregnant Peruvian women 1

From: Changes in the concentrations of biochemical indicators of diet and nutritional status of pregnant women across pregnancy trimesters in Trujillo, Peru, 2004–2005

Biochemical indicator1

LOD2

Trimesters 1–3 Combined

Cord serum

p-values4

% of samples below LOD

n

GM (95% CI)3

Median (range)

Min.

Max.

% of samples below LOD

n

GM (95% CI)

Median

Min.

Max.

Retinol

0.035

0.0

193

1.43 (1.40-1.49)

1.46

0.74

2.63

0.0

52

0.64 (0.60-0.69)

0.66

0.34

1.29

≤ 0.0001

Retinyl palmitate

0.025

65.3

193

NC5

LOD

LOD

0.11

100.0

52

NC

NC

LOD

LOD

NC

Retinyl stearate

0.013

97.4

193

NC

LOD

LOD

0.027

100.0

52

NC

NC

LOD

LOD

NC

Alpha-tocopherol

0.94

0.0

193

27.2 (26.2-28.3)

27.9

14.3

46.0

0.0

52

5.92 (5.52-6.35)

5.80

3.60

15.5

≤ 0.0001

Gamma-tocopherol

0.26

0.0

193

3.14 (2.98-3.32)

3.21

1.10

7.68

17.3

52

0.35 (0.31-0.39)

0.34

0.18

0.98

≤ 0.0001

Alpha-carotene

0.013

0.0

193

0.19 (0.18-0.21)

0.19

0.042

1.14

65.4

52

NC

NC

LOD

0.007

NC

Beta-carotene

0.015

0.0

193

0.21 (0.20-0.23)

0.21

0.050

1.90

69.2

52

NC

NC

LOD

0.005

NC

Cis-beta-carotene6

0.013

23.9

71

0.018 (0.017-0.020)

0.017

0.009

0.12

100.0

31

NC

NC

LOD

LOD

NC

Beta-cryptoxanthin

0.016

0.0

193

0.43 (0.39-0.47)

0.45

0.07

2.39

0.0

52

0.052 (0.045-0.063)

0.051

0.018

0.26

≤ 0.0001

Lutein + zeaxanthin

0.042

0.0

193

0.53 (0.50-0.58)

0.53

0.11

1.24

0.0

52

0.11 (0.10-0.12)

0.10

0.065

0.28

≤ 0.0001

Trans-lycopene

0.015

0.5

193

0.058 (0.052-0.063)

0.054

0.011

0.53

100.0

52

NC

NC

LOD

LOD

NC

Total lycopene

0.019

0.0

193

0.15 (0.14-0.18)

0.15

0.028

1.04

94.2

52

NC

NC

LOD

0.050

NC

Ferritin7

6.81

0.0

192

52.1 (45.2-60.2)

52.8

6.74

528

0.0

47

321 (272–377)

315

101

1090

≤ 0.0001

Iron

0.90

0.0

202

12.1 (11.2-13.0)

12.8

2.33

30.6

0.0

47

26.2 (24.4-28.2)

26.9

12.0

36.2

≤ 0.0001

Unbound iron capacity

1.80

0.0

182

55.6 (52.9-58.4)

56.9

24.2

128

0.0

42

10.0 (8.09-12.6)

10.4

1.79

31.7

≤ 0.0001

Total iron bound capacity8

N/A

0.0

181

71.3 (69.0-71.3)

70.0

34.7

134

0.0

42

38.2 (36.2-40.3)

37.5

25.1

57.7

≤ 0.0001

Transferrin saturation9

N/A

0.0

181

17.9 (16.4–19.6)

19.0

3.0

53.0

0.0

42

67.0 (61.7–72.6)

73.5

34.0

95.0

≤ 0.0001

Selenium

0.063

0.0

204

1.44 (1.41-1.44)

1.46

0.79

2.15

0.0

44

0.86 (0.83-0.89)

0.87

0.61

1.14

≤ 0.0001

  1. 1All values expressed in μmol/L unless otherwise noted.
  2. 2 LOD limit of detection.
  3. 3 GM geometric means; 95% CI = 95% confidence interval.
  4. 4 p-values are based on a t-test and compare trimesters 1–3 combined with cord serum.
  5. 5 NC not calculated. No calculations were conducted on samples for which 40% or more of the values were < LOD as per CDC methodology guidelines (17). For all other samples < LOD, calculations were based upon the LOD values divided by the square root of two.
  6. 6Because of laboratory quality control issues, the total sample size for CBC is lower compared with the remaining biochemical indicators.
  7. 7Values expressed in pmol/L (1 pmol/L = 2.247 ng/ml).
  8. 8 TIBC total iron-binding capacity. TIBC = IRN + UIBC.
  9. 9Transferrin saturation = IRN/TIBC. Values expressed in %. TS does not have a specified LOD.
Back to article page

Nutrition Journal

ISSN: 1475-2891

Contact us