Oxidative stress markers and antioxidant levels in normal pregnancy and pre-eclampsia

ObjectiveTo compare the levels of 3 oxidative stress markers (glutathione peroxidase [GPX], superoxide dismutase [SOD], and malondialdehyde [MDA]) and 2 antioxidants (vitamin C and lycopene) in healthy and pre-eclamptic pregnant women.MethodsCirculating levels of GPX, SOD, MDA, vitamin C and lycopene were measured in 50 healthy pregnant women and 50 women with pre-eclampsia (PE) (41 with mild PE and 9 with severe PE) attending the antenatal clinic or admitted to the maternity ward of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.ResultsThe levels of GPX, SOD and MDA were significantly higher in women with PE than in controls, and the increase was higher in women with severe PE (P < 0.001 using analysis of variance and the Kruskal Wallis test). The levels of vitamin C and lycopene were significantly lower in women with PE than in controls, with a greater decrease in women with severe PE.ConclusionIncreased levels of oxidative stress markers and decreased levels of antioxidants in pre-eclamptic women suggest that oxidative stress markers play a significant role in the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia, and that supplemental dietary antioxidants may have a beneficial role in the prevention of pre-eclampsia in women at high-risk for this condition.