RESUMO
Estimatiorfof different iron body status markers, ceruloplas-min and oxidative stress in pre- and postmenopausal women at Baghdad city. This study was performed at the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, College of medicine, AI-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq from January 2009 to October 2009. The study consisted of 42 healthy women categorized into two groups premeno-pausal women [n= 22] aged 29.71 +/-8.92 years and postmenopausal women [n=20] aged 53.33 +/- 4.61 years. Iron, total iron binding capacity [TIBC] were measured colorimetrically, ferritin levels were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA], ceruloplas-min level was estimated by radial immunodiffusion technique whereas malondialdehyde was quantified colorimetrically. Non-significant increase [P>0.05] in iron, ferritin levels, transferrin saturation percents in sera of postmenopausal women and non- significant increase [P>0.05] in total iron binding capacity [TIBC] transferrin, iron stores in sera of premenopausal women. Malondialdehyde increased non- significantly [P=0.44] in premenopausal women whereas ceruloplasmin increased significantly [P=0.000] in postmenopausal women group. On the other hand ferritin was correlated positively and significantly with body mass index [BMI] [r= 0.696; P < 0.05] and with ceruloplasmin levels [r=0.725; P<0.05] in pre- and postmenopausal women. Hormonal changes which usually associated with menopause may be the cause of increased oxidative stress and consequent rise in ceruloplasmin levels, as an antioxidant response