Table 1 Comparison of the demographic characteristics between the women receiving vitamin C or placebo The serum UEs levels (mean±SD) were 16.81±9.98 and 22.21±11.03 ng/ml in the intervention and control subjects, respectively (table 2). A comparison of the serum UEs levels between

the two studied groups showed a significantly lower level in the women who received vitamin C (P=0.044). The frequency of PPROM was lower in the group receiving vitamin C than in the control group, with the difference not constituting statistical #Selleckchem Caspase inhibitor keyword# significance (table 3). The UEs level in the PPROM-negative women (regardless of vitamin C consumption) was lower than that of the PPROM-positive subjects; nevertheless, the difference was not significant (19.02±11.01 and 22.98±8.60 ng/dl, respectively). Table 2 Comparison of unconjugated estriol levels between the women receiving vitamin C and the control group in the 28th week of pregnancy Table 3 Comparison of the frequency of PPROM between the group Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical receiving vitamin C and the control group Discussion The main cause of PROM with different pathologies is disorder in collagen metabolism. Reduction in the collagen

content of embryo membranes decreases their stability and causes rupture, which has several side effects for both mother Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical and embryo. Consumption of vitamin C during pregnancy can prevent PROM because it can regulate the metabolism of membranes’ collagen and augment their resistance. Vitamin C can also prevent an early increase in estriol during pregnancy. In this study, estriol levels were significantly Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical lower in the patients receiving vitamin C than in the placebo group (P=0.044). The relative frequency of PPROM was also higher in the control group than in the intervention group; however, the difference was not statistically significant. A recent study demonstrated that plasma vitamin C was lower in women with PPROM; it concluded that a low plasma vitamin

C concentration might be an associated risk factor for PPROM.15 Elsewhere, it was proposed that generation of ROS could be a potentially Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical reversible pathophysiological pathway that might lead to PPROM.9 Accordingly, consumption of antioxidants such as vitamin C may lessen the risk of PPROM. Our literature review of relevant studies did not yield any investigation measuring the relationship between serum estriol levels in PPROM and vitamin C consumption. Be that as it may, some studies have considered these factors no separately. In 2003, Tejero et al.16 measured the concentration of vitamin C in leukocytes and found lower levels in the PROM patients than in the control group. Also, Plessinger et al.14 argued that foods were not substantial enough resources to provide the appropriate level of vitamins C and E, required for the prevention of PPROM, and suggested food supplements to compensate for such insufficiencies. Borna et al.17 studied 60 patients and observed that vitamin C, accompanied by vitamin E, increased the latency period.