RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between asymptomatic malaria parasitemia and some oxidative stress parameters in pregnant Nigerian women. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study involving 130 normal pregnant women at various trimesters, who were attending antenatal clinic at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) and Kenechukwu Specialist Hospital in Enugu. A comparable group (control), made of 30 non pregnant women was also recruited. After a 24 hour dietary recall, serum levels of vitamin A, C and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined by colorimetric method, while vitamin E was determined by absorptiometric method. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in age, parity, estimated calorie, vitamins A, C and E intake between the pregnant and non pregnant groups (P> 0.05). The serum level of the vitamins (umol/L) and MDA (umol/L) in control, 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters respectively were: (1)Vitamin A: 1.6±0.36 vs 0.6±0.26 vs 0.62± 0.33 vs 0.46± 0.21 (P < 0.0001); (2) Vitamin C: 75.65±14.15 vs 62.97±24.4 vs 37.85±15.19 vs 28.94±8.52 (P<0.0001); (3) Vitamin E: 3.01± 1.32 vs 3.45±2.01 vs 9.36±2.75 vs 9.82±2.97 (P<0.0001); (4) MDA: 1.42± 0.02 vs 1.61±0.02 vs 1.79±0.02 vs 2.03±0.05 (P<0.0001). However, there were no significant changes in the serum level of the vitamins and MDA between the positive and the negative parasitemia subjects (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic malaria parasitemia does not induce additional oxidative stress on pregnant women in Nigeria. The enormity of acute and complicated attack should be further investigated.
