title: Oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses in pregnant women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oxidative stress (OS) is defined as an imbalance in the production of reactive oxygen species and the capacity of antioxidant defenses. The objective of this work was to investigate OS and antioxidant capacity in pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parameters  of the oxidative status and antioxidant capacity in serum and whole blood were evaluated in thirty-nine women with normal pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The assessment of antioxidants indicated an increase in superoxide dismutase and catalase activities (P<0.05  and P<0.01) and a decrease in ascorbic acid levels and the total content of sulfhydryl (P<0.05 and P<0.001). Additionally, when the pro-oxidant system was investigated we found an increase (P<0.01) in malondialdehyde  and no significant change (P>0.05) in protein carbonylation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that there is a change in the pro-oxidant and antioxidant defenses associated with body and circulation changes that are inherent to the pregnancy process.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. camleal@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Claudio A M
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: Maria R C
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Schetinger
authors.forename: Daniela B R
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: Vera M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Morsch
authors.forename: Aleksandro Schafer
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: João F P
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Rezer
authors.forename: André Valle
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: de Bairros
authors.forename: Jeandre Augusto Dos Santos
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Jaques
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood; D002374:Catalase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011247:Pregnancy; D050050:Protein Carbonylation; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000097:blood*; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000097:blood; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D001205:Ascorbic Acid