Protein carbonyls in decidua and placenta of pre-eclamptic women as markers for oxidative stress

Enhanced levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased levels of an tioxidants may contribute Co the development of pre-eclampsia. Protein carb onyls map be sensitive biomarkers for ROS-mediated protein damage, whereas the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) value may serve as marker for antioxidant capacity. Twenty-two healthy pregnant women and 50 patients with severe pre-eclampsia , 25 of whom with concurrent (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low plate lets) HELLP syndrome were investigated prospectively with respect to placen tal and decidual levels of protein carbonyls and FRAP antioxidant capacity. Measurements were evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis or Mann-Whitney U-tes ts for comparison between groups, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test fur com parison within groups. Spearman's correlation tests were used for correlati on analyses. Placental and decidual protein carbonyl levels were higher in pre-eclampsia with HELLP than in healthy pregnancy, whereas FRAP levels were lower. Diff erences between pre-eclampsia and healthy pregnancy showed the same trend, but did not reach statistical significance. In pre-eclampsia with HELLP syn drome carbonyl levels as well as FRAP levels were significantly higher in p lacenta as compared with decidua. Higher levels of protein carbonyls and lower antioxidant capacity in both p lacenta and decidua in pre-eclampsia with concurrent HELLP syndrome as comp ared to healthy pregnancy may indicate that considerable ROS-mediated damag e occurs in this disorder. (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.