TABLE 4.
Micronutrient blood biomarker concentrations of women expecting to become pregnant in Asesewa, Ghana, by self-reported health history1
| Parity | Anemia2 | Malaria2 | Night blindness3 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | ≥1 | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Biomarker | (n = 46) | (n = 52) | (n = 83) | (n = 14) | (n = 44) | (n = 54) | (n = 83) | (n = 15) |
| Serum | ||||||||
| α1-acid glycoprotein,4 mg/dL | 55.0 [41.6, 81.0] | 59.7 [43.8, 81.0] | 51.9 [42.1, 81.0]* | 81.0 [58.0, 133.4]* | 58.0 [43.8, 81.0] | 61.5 [42.1, 81.0] | 61.5 [42.1, 81.0] | 51.9 [42.1, 64.0] |
| Iron, µg/dL | 82.2 (48.4) | 73.2 (35.7) | 76.6 (44.0) | 82.4 (32.3) | 77.6 (49.9) | 77.2 (35.1) | 76.7 (38.7) | 81.3 (59.5) |
| Adjusted ferritin,5 µg/L | 59.7 [34.0, 91.6] | 49.4 [30.2, 106.1] | 50.6 [24.5, 101.0] | 58.2 [47.4, 91.7] | 50.8 [31.6, 117.9] | 52.1 [28.8, 89.4] | 51.3 [31.7, 100.9] | 51.7 [24.1, 94.0] |
| TIBC, g/dL | 301.0 [268.0, 334.0] | 306.0 [280.5, 337.0] | 306.0 [271.0, 341.0] | 301.0 [283.0, 306.0] | 315.0 [281.5, 341.5] | 301.0 [268.0, 329.0] | 301.0 [271.0, 334.0] | 306.0 [268.0, 342.0] |
| Transferrin saturation, % | 26.3 (14.4) | 24.8 (13.0) | 25.0 (14.0) | 28.7 (11.9) | 24.2 (14.6) | 26.6 (12.8) | 26.2 (14.2) | 21.3 (9.2) |
| 25(OH)D,6 nmol/L | 63.2 (14.5) | 66.8 (13.8) | 65.1 (14.4) | 65.7 (13.6) | 66.0 (15.6) | 64.4 (13.1) | 64.8 (14.1) | 67.0 (15.0) |
| 25(OH)D C3 epimer, nmol/L | 3.0 (1.4) | 2.8 (1.3) | 3.0 (1.4) | 2.6 (1.4) | 2.9 (1.4) | 2.9 (1.4) | 2.8 (1.2) | 3.6 (1.8) |
| Total 25(OH)D, nmol/L | 66.2 (15.5) | 69.6 (14.5) | 68.1 (15.3) | 68.4 (14.0) | 68.9 (16.4) | 67.3 (13.9) | 67.5 (14.9) | 70.7 (16.0) |
| Plasma | ||||||||
| Copper,7 µg/dL | 116.5 (20.5) | 113.2 (28.7) | 114.8 (25.1) | 115.9 (26.7) | 115.6 (20.8) | 114.1 (28.4) | 115.3 (25.1) | 111.6 (26.2) |
| Adjusted zinc,8 µg/dL | 82.4 (11.9) | 83.7 (15.6) | 81.9 (12.5) | 90.6 (19.4) | 80.9 (11.3) | 84.8 (15.6) | 83.4 (14.0) | 81.3 (13.4) |
| Adjusted retinol,9 µg/dL | 37.7 (12.9) | 38.3 (15.5) | 36.9 (12.9) | 44.4 (20.2) | 38.4 (17.6) | 37.7 (11.0) | 37.7 (14.0) | 39.4 (15.8) |
| Whole blood | ||||||||
| Hemoglobin, g/dL | 12.3 (1.3) | 12.2 (1.4) | 12.3 (1.2) | 11.9 (1.9) | 12.2 (1.6) | 12.3 (1.1) | 12.3 (1.4) | 12.3 (1.1) |
Data are presented as arithmetic means (SDs) or medians [IQRs]; n = 98. *P < 0.05 for t test or Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test if distribution was normal or nonnormal, respectively. TIBC, total iron binding capacity; 25(OH)D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D.
Response to the question, “Has a health professional ever told you that you have . . .?”; 1 response was “don't know” and is not included in the table.
Response to the question, “Have you ever experienced night blindness?”
Marker of inflammation; 11 α1-acid glycoprotein values >100 mg/L.
Adjustment using correction factors from Thurnham et al. (37).
Marker of vitamin D status.
n = 97 due to 1 missing value.
Adjustment using correction factors from Mburu et al. (38).
Marker of vitamin A status; adjustment using correction factors from Thurnham et al. (39).