Effects of Ascorbic Acid on Serum Level of Unconjugated Estriol and Its Relationship with Preterm Premature Rupture of Membrane: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: vitamin c is a water-soluble antioxidant that not only stimulates and protects collagen synthesis but also plays an important role in maintaining cellular integrity in a normal pregnancy. this study surveyed the effects of ascorbic acid on the serum level of unconjugated estriol and the relationship between unconjugated estriol and preterm premature rupture of membrane (pprom).methods: this double-blind, randomized clinical trial recruited 60 patients with predisposing factors to pprom. the women were randomly divided into two groups of intervention and control and received vitamin c and placebo, respectively. the intervention group received 250 mg vitamin c twice a day and the controls received the placebo only. unconjugated estriol was measured using the elisa. all data were extracted and recorded in a checklist and compared using descriptive statistics as well as the x2, fisher exact, and t tests.results: the demographic data showed no difference between the two groups. the mean level of serum unconjugated estriol was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (p=0.044). also, the frequency of pprom was lower in the intervention group, but the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). unconjugated estriol levels were not significantly different between the healthy women and the pprom patients. conclusion: this study demonstrated that vitamin c administration decreased unconjugated estriol levels in the patients with pprom. the findings of this study also indicated that administration of ascorbic acid was a safe and effective method to reduce the incidence of pprom. alteration in unconjugated estriol is an active mediator for this effect.trial registration number: irct201012083580n3