Assessment of antioxidant enzyme levels in mild and severe preeclampsia and normal pregnancies

Despite importance of Preeclampsia (PE), as a major cause of maternal mortality and fetal death especially in developing countries, its etiology remains unclear. This study was performed to analyze the susceptibility of erythrocytes and to evaluate antioxidant enzymes activity such as glutathione peroxidase (GPX), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT) in women with preeclampsia and normal pregnancy. In this cross-sectional-comparative study, circulating levels of GPX, SOD, CAT and malondialdehyde (MDA) were analyzed in 30 healthy pregnant women, 25 women with mild PE and 26 with severe PE hospitalized in Rasoule Akram and Akbarabadi hospitals of Iran University of Medical Sciences. Susceptibility of erythrocytes in severe and mild PE pregnant women were significantly higher than healthy pregnant women (p<0.05). Levels of MDA, GPX, SOD and CAT in severe and mild PE pregnant women were significantly higher than healthy pregnant women (p<0.05). It seems that oxidative stress plays a significant role in pathophysiology of PE. Therefore, determination of antioxidant enzyme activity in these patients and using supplemental dietary with antioxidants such as vitamins C and E may play a role in prevention of preeclampsia.