Evaluation of Fetal Serum Thiol/Disulfide Homeostasis and Ischemia-Modified Albumin Levels in Fetal Distress.

We investigated the association of fetal serum thiol/disulfide homeostasis and ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels with fetal distress (FD). Umbilical cord blood for native thiol, total thiol, disulfide, albumin, and IMA analysis was obtained from 44 pregnant women over 34 weeks gestation undergoing cesarean section due to non-acute FD, and from 61 healthy pregnant women who underwent elective cesarean section Native thiol and total thiol levels were significantly lower in the FD group ( = 0.02 and  = 0.014, respectively). Although disulfide/native thiol and disulfide/total thiol ratios were higher in the FD group, the difference was statistically insignificant ( = 0.805). The IMA levels were significantly higher in the FD group ( = 0.013). The thiol-disulfide homeostasis shifts toward the oxidant direction during the FD pathogenesis and the increased IMA levels may be the best indicator of an underlying non-acute ischemic condition.