Woman's body symmetry and oxidative stress in the first trimester of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES

High level of oxidative stress (OS) during the first weeks of pregnancy is related to many serious pregnancy complications. Previous studies showed that body fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is related to OS level in men, suggesting that FA is a marker of oxidative balance in an individual. The aim of this study was to analyze if body FA was related to the level of biomarkers of OS in the first trimester of pregnancy.

METHODS

The sample included 34 women in the first trimester of pregnancy, not smoking, and not exposed to toxins in their work environment. The composite FA and levels of two biomarkers of OS, 8-iso-ProstaglandinF2α (an indicator of oxidative damage to lipids) and 8-OH-dG (an indicator of oxidative damage to DNA) were measured. Factors that may affect the level of OS (vitamin supplementation, age, smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, and health condition) were controlled.

RESULTS

The levels of OS markers in the first trimester of pregnancy correlated positively with women's FA (r = 0.52, P = 0.002 for 8-OH-dG; r = 0.50; P = 0.003 for 8-iso-PGF2α level) and positively with body height (r = 0.37, P = 0.03 for 8-OH-dG level).

CONCLUSION

The level of OS is likely to be a substantial and important fitness trait, and FA may convey information on the level of OS in women. The result confirms that FA is an indicator of biological condition, as suggested by an evolutionary approach to morphological human traits perceived as attractive.