Serum advanced oxidation protein products, myeloperoxidase and ascorbic acid in pre-eclampsia and eclampsia

Background: Activation products from neutrophils and the complement system might cause endothelial dysfunction, which is central to the aetiology of pre-eclampsia. This study aimed to investigate the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO), and its association with advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), in women with pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Materials and method: Twenty-one pregnant women with pre-eclampsia, 11 pregnant women with eclampsia and 19 healthy pregnant women were studied. Serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), AOPP, ascorbic acid (AA) and activities of MPO and catalase (CAT) were measured using a colorimetric method. Results: The MDA level was significantly higher in the pre-eclampsia (3.15 +/- 0.28 nmol/mL) and eclampsia (4.01 +/- 0.66 nmol/mL) groups than in controls (1.85 +/- 0.18 nmol/mL); the difference between MDA levels in the pre-eclampsia and eclampsia groups was not statistically significant. MPO activity was significantly higher in the eclampsia (347.59 +/- 88.06 U/L) group than in the pre-eclampsia (196.17 +/- 30.8) and control (93.22 +/- 9.52) groups, and there was also no significant difference in these levels between the pre-eclampsia and control groups. CAT activity was significantly higher in the pre-eclampsia (166.35 +/- 31.75 U/L) and eclampsia (166.98 +/- 40.31 U/L) groups than in controls (81.28 +/- 7.41 U/L), and AA level was significantly higher in the pre-eclampsia (0.54 +/- 0.15 mg/dL) group than in controls (0.18 +/- 0.01 mg/dL); the differences in AA and CAT activity between the pre-eclampsia and eclampsia groups were not statistically significant. AOPP levels did not change significantly among the control, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia groups (106.88 +/- 5.62, 98.89 +/- 6.47, 111.89 +/- 6.8 mu mol/L, respectively). Conclusions: We suggest that increased oxidative stress might contribute to the pathophysiological mechanisms of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, and that AA and CAT might have a protective role via free radical-scavenging properties. However, further study is needed.