Association Between Selenium, Ferritin, and Haemoglobin Levels and the Development of Preeclampsia

To evaluate the association between Selenium (Se) and other micronutrients (iron, ferritin, copper, zinc, and vitamin B12) and the development of preeclampsia (PE), and to assess their predictive performance.

An observational study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sehit Prof. Dr. Ilhan Varank Sancaktepe Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkiye, from October 2024 to March 2025.

A total of 166 singleton pregnancies were included in the study. Maternal blood samples were collected between 12 and 20 weeks of gestation to measure serum Se, iron, ferritin, copper, zinc, vitamin B12, and haemoglobin (Hb) levels. All participants were followed prospectively until delivery to evaluate the association between Se and PE and its predictive value alongside other biomarkers. Group comparisons were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Independent predictors of PE were identified using binary logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to evaluate the discriminative performance of significant laboratory parameters.

Fifty-nine women (35.5%) developed PE. Se and Hb levels were significantly lower, whereas ferritin levels were significantly higher in the PE group (p <0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, elevated ferritin (OR: 1.047, 95% CI: 1.019-1.076, p = 0.001) and decreased Hb (OR: 0.523, 95% CI: 0.350-0.782, p = 0.002) were independently associated with PE, while Se was not an independent predictor. ROC analysis demonstrated acceptable discriminative ability for ferritin (AUC: 0.706), Hb (adjusted AUC: 0.72), and Se (adjusted AUC: 0.70).

Elevated ferritin and decreased Hb levels were independently associated with the development of PE. Se was associated with PE in univariate analysis but did not remain an independent predictor after adjustment, suggesting that it may reflect underlying oxidative stress rather than act as a causal determinant.

Preeclampsia, Selenium, Haemoglobin, Vitamin B12, Ferritin.