Relationship between Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Thyroid Hormones during Pregnancy in the North of Rome

It is vital to ensure that during pregnancy the necessary vitamins and minerals are obtained. Vitamin D and thyroid hormones are essential for the correct health and proper development of a fetus. Vitamin D is a lipophilic substance linked to bone growth and it promotes the normal development of the brain of a fetus. Thyroid hormones are also fundamental for the good growth. The aim of this project was to investigate, during the summer period, the relationship between 25 (OH) D (25-hydroxy vitamin D) status and circulating TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) and how the vitamin D is correlated with FT4 (free thyroxine) levels in pregnant women. The study was conducted from July to September 2014 at the Hospital Clinical Pathology Laboratory in Bracciano, in the north of Rome (Italy). For the purpose of this study, we selected 120 pregnant women aged between 17 and 40 years (mean age 31.08), who declared themselves in good health. For each subject, we tested Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody (TPOAb) and Thyroglobulin Antibody (TgAb), excluding 22 patients because having positive levels.25-Hydroxyvitamin D and thyroid parameters were measured by electrochemiluminescence methods Architect 2000 (Abbott, IL, USA) and Immulite 2000 (Siemens Healthcare, UK), respectively. The results of our study reported that the mean serum 25 (OH) D of the pregnant women was 24.64 (SD 7.92) ng/mL. According to the European average, we observed the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency for 52 % of subjects, deficiency for 28 % and sufficiency just for 20 % of women. Regarding thyroid, the mean TSH level was 1.74 (SD 1.16) IU/mL and the mean FT4 level was 0.92 (SD 0.25) ng/dL, as the correct levels in pregnancy. Vitamin D deficiency is a common condition throughout world. During pregnancy, due to fetus demands, hypovitaminosis D and thyroid parameters drops are frequent. The high levels of sunshine in Italy do not necessary guarantee a right vitamin D concentration, and although there are many studies about the role of vitamin D in the human body, there are few experiments about the correlation of this analysis and thyroid hormones during pregnancy, especially during the summer period and in a touristic sunny Italian place. The results of this study showed an association between higher vitamin D and lower TSH in pregnant women with sufficient level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (greater than30ng/mL). However, we found no correlation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and thyroid-stimulating hormone and FT4 hormone in pregnant women with 25 (OH) D serum