ERYTHROCYTE GLUTATHIONE BALANCE AND MEMBRANE STABILITY DURING PREECLAMPSIA

This study aimed to determine whether oxidative damage to the erythroc yte occurs in preeclampsia, and relates to disease severity. The oxida tive status of intact erythrocytes from preeclamptic patients and norm al pregnant women was determined using spin echo H-1-NMR, which measur es both the concentration and redox state of intracellular glutathione . Previous studies of preeclampsia have only measured total glutathion e levels. Membrane fragility was determined from the degree of lysis c aused by incubation in hypotonic saline. Erythrocytes from moderate-se vere preeclamptic patients underwent more lysis than erythrocytes from control pregnant women (p < .05) or mild preeclamptic patients. It is suggested that increased lysis results from oxidative damage to the e rythrocyte membrane, causing a decrease in membrane fluidity and reduc ing its ability to withstand osmotic changes. Intracellular glutathion e was more oxidized in erythrocytes from pregnant women compared to no npregnant controls (p < .05), and there was a less significant trend t oward more oxidized glutathione with increasing severity of preeclamps ia. The moderate-severe group showed a clear division in glutathione r edox status: some patients had very oxidized glutathione while others had a normal redox balance. This novel finding suggests that some pati ents may be unusually susceptible to erythrocyte glutathione oxidation , possibly leading to general cellular damage, in particular HELLP Syn drome. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.