Assessment of some micronutrients and detection of slc39a14 gene in women attending specialist hospital sokoto

Abstract

Obstetric complications have been a burden on a lot of women, many pregnant women are deficient of micronutrients necessary for the health and well-being of the mother, the growing fetus and new-born child. Proper nutrition during pregnancy is important to prevent obstetric complications. Zinc, iron, copper and slc39a14 gene which is a gene that facilitates the uptake of micronutrients in the body are crucial in reduction of obstetric complications. However, data on their interaction in obstetric complications is limited. This study aimed to assess the serum levels of zinc, copper, and iron, and to investigate the detection and expression of the SLC39A14 gene in mitigating obstetric complications among women of reproductive age in Sokoto metropolis. This study is a cross-sectional study conducted on 248 pregnant women, recruited from specialist hospital Sokoto, serum concentration of zinc, copper and iron were measured using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, slc39a14 gene expression was detected using Real Time Quantitative PCR, the knowledge of dietary intake and demographic factors, dietary data of the study subjects were collected using FFQ questionnaire. Statistical analysis included ANOVA and Pearson correlation to determine association between the micronutrients, slc39a14 gene and Obstetric complications. The findings on the relationship between slc39a14 gene and micronutrients suggests that as slc39a14 gene expression increases, zinc and iron level also tend to increases particularly in 30-39 age group while copper level show minimal variation across all ages. This study highlights the critical function of zinc copper and iron in maternal health and fetal development, the interplay of the micronutrients and slc39a14 gene in mitigating obstetric complications, deficiency in key micronutrients and declining slc39a14 gene expression may contribute to obstetric complications. Health care providers and government should promote policies for improved dietary awareness, Genetic analysis of slc39a14 gene and assessment of micronutrients level should be incorporated into routine maternal care to tailor supplementation strategies.

Keywords: Zinc, Iron,Copper, Obstetric complications, slc39a14 gene, Sokoto.