Regulation of vitamin D metabolism in normal human pregnancy

Abstract

The increasing serum concentrations of various hormones (PTH, PRL, estrogens, and human placental lactogen) are hypothesized to regulate 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] and possibly 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [24,25(OH)2D] production during pregnancy. We examined the correlation between the serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D and the pregnancy-related hormones in 25 normal pregnant women, followed throughout gestation and postpartum. Maternal serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D were high during the first trimester (mean +/- SE, 74 +/- 8 pg/ml), remained high until the time of delivery (95 +/- 14 pg/ml), and then fell to almost normal levels (50 +/- 9 pg/ml) on the third postpartum day. The serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D do not correlate with the serum levels of any of the aforementioned hormones. The increase in serum 1,25(OH)2D in pregnancy has been postulated to be related to the stressed calcium homeostatic mechanisms known to occur in the mother. In twin pregnancy, this maternal calcium homeostatic mechanism(s) conceivably may be stressed to a greater extent. However, serum 1,25(OH)2D levels, measured in 27 women with a twin pregnancy in both the second and third trimesters as well as at delivery, did not differ from the levels observed in women with a singleton pregnancy. There were no significant changes in the serum levels of 24,24(OH)2D or 25-hydroxyvitamin D as pregnancy progressed. However, serum 24,25(OH)2D correlated significantly with both serum 1,25(OH)2D (r - 0.51; p less than 0.001, n = 83) and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (r = 0.37; P less than 0.001, n = 94). In conclusion, serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D rise early in the first trimester of pregnancy, fall acutely to normal levels soon after delivery, and are similar in singleton and twin pregnancies. The changes in the serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D do not relate to the changes in the serum levels of any of the pregnancy-related hormones.