Antioxidant nutrients and lipid peroxide levels in Thai preeclamptic pregnant women.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the antioxidant nutrients and lipid peroxide levels in preeclampsia and normal pregnant women.

METHODS

Antioxidant nutrients (vitamin A and E) were measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography, vitamin C was measured by the dinitrophenyl hydrazine method, lipid peroxides were measured by the malondialdehyde method in 20 severe preeclampsia, 30 mild preeclampsia and 60 normal pregnant women as controls.

RESULTS

Vitamin C levels in severe and mild preeclampsia were significantly less than those in control group. The corrected vitamin E and vitamin A levels were significantly decreased only in severe preeclampsia. While the lipid peroxide levels in both mild and severe preeclampsia were significantly increased when compared with the nomal pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

Preeclampsia is associated with the imbalance between lipid peroxides and antioxidant nutrients (vitamin C and E). The imbalances favour lipid peroxides with the increasing severity of preeclampsia.