Impaired antioxidant activity in women with pre-eclampsia

Objective: To investigate antioxidant activity of sera and the plasma blood levels of two potent antioxidant in women with pre-eclampsia and normotens ive pregnancies. Study design: The antioxidant activity of sera and the blo od levels of ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol were assayed in women with normal pregnancies (n = 33), mild pre-eclampsia (n = 8), and severe pre-ecl ampsia (n = 16) between 20 and 40 weeks' gestation. Ascorbic acid and alpha -tocopherol concentrations were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromat ography. Antioxidant activity of sera was measured as the percent inhibitio n of spontaneous autoxidation of a standard brain homogenate. Results: Plas ma levels of ascorbic acid in women with mild and severe pre-eclampsia were significantly lower than normal pregnancies (P < 0.05). Sera alpha-tocophe rol levels were significantly decreased only in severe pre-eclampsia (P < 0 .05). Sera antioxidant activity were significantly decreased in mild (73%) and severe (51%) pre-eclampsia compared with normal (86%) pregnancies (P = 0.02, P = 0.000, respectively). Conclusions: In women with pre-eclampsia, s era antioxidant activity and antioxidant level of plasma are decreased when compared with normotensive pregnancies. Impaired antioxidant activity and the reduction of antioxidant levels which increase the level of lipid perox idation products may cause peroxidative damage of vascular endothelium and result in clinical symptoms of pre-eclampsia. (C) 1999 International Federa tion of Gynecology and Obstetrics.