Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress Status in Maternal Serum of β-thalassemic Mothers Carrying β-thalassemic Major and Normal Fetuses.

β-thalassemia is a genetic disorder characterized by reduction or absence of β-globin chain with mutations in both copies (β-thalassemia major) or in one copy (β-thalassemia minor). Pregnancies in β- thalassemic carrier women are considered symptom free but have risk of inheriting β-thalassemic fetuses. Current study was designed to compare oxidative stress and antioxidants status in maternal serum from β-thalassemic minor mothers having β-thalassemic major and normal fetuses. We investigated paraoxonase (PON1) and arylesterase (ARE) activities along with malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in maternal serum of β-thalassemic carrier women. PON1 and ARE activities were found to be significantly decreased, whereas the concentration of MDA and ROS were significantly increased in β-thalassemic minor mothers with β-thalassemic major fetuses. The study concludes that redox imbalance in β-thalassemic trait mothers carrying thalassemic fetuses is higher than in mothers carrying normal fetuses.