SELENIUM LEVELS, THIOBARBITURIC ACID-REACTIVE SUBSTANCE CONCENTRATIONS AND GLUTATHIONE-PEROXIDASE ACTIVITY IN THE BLOOD OF WOMEN WITH GESTOSIS AND IMMINENT PREMATURE LABOR

The aim of the study was to investigate antioxidant status, monitored by selenium and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance concentrations in blood plasma, and glutathione peroxidase activity in erythrocytes a nd blood plasma in women with gestosis (n = 26), imminent premature la bour (n = 48) and normal pregnancy (n = 23) during 19-38 weeks of preg nancy, Selenium concentrations in blood plasma were significantly high er in women with pathological pregnancies than in normal (45.5 +/- 10. 5 mu g l(-1), p < 0.01 and 44.1 +/- 11.6 mu g l(-1), p < 0.05 vs, 38.6 +/- 8.3 mu g l(-1), respectively). In all groups of pregnant women Se concentrations were extremely low as compared with non-pregnant femal es, Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in blood plasma was signi ficantly higher in complicated pregnancies than in healthy ones, There were no significant differences in thiobarbituric acid-reactive subst ance concentrations between all groups of pregnant women, Statisticall y significant correlations were found between blood plasma Se concentr ations and GSH-Px activity in healthy pregnant (r = 0.53, p < 0.01), i mminent premature labour (r = 0.39, p < 0.01), and non-pregnant female s (r = 0.56, p <0.001).