Oxidative stress in recurrent pregnancy loss women

ABSTRACT

To investigate biochemical changes in lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, and vitamin E in recurrent pregnancy loss women, and compare these with healthy pregnant, and non-pregnant women. A case control study was conducted from September 2008 to December 2009 at Al Khadimiya Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq. Ninety-six subjects were included in the study, 32 were patients with recurrent pregnancy loss [RPL], and 32 pregnant women in their third trimester, and another 32 non-pregnant women were used as controls. Blood samples were collected from each patient at the time of pregnancy loss. Serum from patients and controls was then used to estimate malondialdehyde [MDA], nitric oxide [NO], and vitamin E levels. There was a significant elevation in patient serum MDA compared with third trimester pregnant women [p=0.002] and non-pregnant women [p=0.0001]. Both serum vitamin E and NO levels in RPL patients also showed a highly significant decrease compared with third trimester pregnant, and non-pregnant women. A highly significant difference was found in the MDA/vitamin E ratio between RPL and control groups, while no significance was found between RPL and control groups' NO/vitamin E ratio. The decrease in NO production and vitamin E is a result of RPL and not a causative factor, as the RPL was without pathological cause, medication, or fibroid presence, and no significant difference was found between the NO/vitamin E ratio in RPL and controls group