RESUMO
Preeclampsia is a common complication of pregnancy with the prevalence of 2-7% which increases fetal-maternal mortality. Despite many researches in this field, the etiology of preeclampsia is still unknown and different theories are suggested. Recently the role of deficiency of trace elements is emphasized. Selenium is one of the trace elements which as an antioxidant play an important role in protection of endothelial cells of blood vessel with counterbalancing of oxygen free radicals. The aim of this study was to compare serum level of selenium in women with preeclampsia and normal pregnant women. This cohort study was performed on 35 women with severe preeclampsia as case group and 30 normal pregnant women as control group in Emam Reza Hospital during 2007-2009. Two groups were matched in terms of maternal age, gestational age, and BMI. Serum level of selenium was measured by spectrophotometer with method of atomic absorption. Data was analyzed with SPSS software version 18 and T-student test. P