Evaluation of Copper Status and Some Red Cell Parameters of Pregnant Women in Enugu State, South Eastern Nigeria
Richard Eze
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Madonna University, Elele, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Emmanuel Ifeanyi Obeagu
*
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Madonna University, Elele, Rivers State, Nigeria and Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Imo State University, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
Arvin Nwakulite
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Madonna University, Elele, Rivers State, Nigeria.
I. L. Okoroiwu
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Imo State University, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
C. C. N. Vincent
Department of Nursing Science, Imo State University, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
Chukwuma J. Okafor
Department of Pathology and Biochemistry, State University of Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Ejike Felix Chukwurah
Department of Haematology and Immunology, Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria.
Udunma Olive Chijioke
Department of Health Administration and Management, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu State, Nigeria.
Chukwudi Ofodile Amaechi
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Copper is an essential trace mineral (micronutrient) that is naturally present in some foods and is available as a dietary supplement. Pregnancy, also known as gestation, is the time during which one or more offspring develops inside a woman.This study was desiged to assay the copper level of pregnant women in urban area and to evaluate the effect of the obtained valves on some blood parameters of the pregnant women. In this study, a total of 100 subjects and 50 controls was used. subjects were pregnant women while the controls were non-pregnant women. The copper level in subject was assayed with a serum copper test kit using automation with Bio E-lab fully automated chemistry analyzer and result of the complete blood count was gotten using Mindray Hematology analyzer. The mean for subjects (M=102.83±1.38) and control (M=102.68±0.94), p = 0.71. These results suggest that the difference between the copper level for subjects and controls is not really much.. The variables copper level and MCV were found to be slightly correlated, r(150) = ..018., p > .005. Additionally, copper levels in the subjects was also found to negatively correlated with MCH, r(150) = .907, p > .005. One-way analysis of variance showed that the correlation of copper levels was not significant on all of the red bloodcell parameters in the serum of the pregnant women.
Keywords: Copper status, red cell parameters, pregnant women