SERUM LEVELS OF VITAMIN B12, FOLATE AND HOMOCYSTEINE IN WOMEN WITH HISTORY OF RECURRENT EARLY PREGNANCY LOSS

Objective: to detect the possible role of serum vitamin B12.folate and homocysteine levels as risk factors in recurrent early pregnancy loss (REPL). Design: cross sectional study. Settings: departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Biochemistry. Benha Faculty of Medicine. Subjects: The study group consisted of 35 non pregnant women with history of REPL, 20 cases were primary aborters with no live borne child and 15 cases were secondary aborters who had delivered at least one live born child prior to habitual abortion. The control group consisted of 15 women with no history of REPL and delivered at least two living children. Methods: blood sample was taken after an overnight fast for determination of serum vitamin B12 and Jointe levels by immulite and serum homocysteine level by ELISA. Main outcome measures: statistical comparison between serum levels of vitamin B12. folate and homocysteine in patients with REPL and the control group. Results: serum vitamin B12 and folate levels were significantly lower (P 0.05) and serum homocysteine level was significantly higher (P 0.05) in patients with REPL than in the control group. No statistically significant difference was found between levels in primary and secondary aborters. There was a significant negative correlation between serum folate and serum homocysteine levels in the primary ahorter group. Conclusions: Patients with REPL have high serum homocysteine level anil low serum folate and vitamin B12 levels compared to women with no history of REPL.