title: Maternal and fetal indicators of oxidative stress in various obstetric complications.
abstract: The present study demonstrates the incidence of increased lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation in both maternal and fetal erythrocytes as markers of oxygen radical activity in different complications of pregnancy. In fetuses born after premature rupture of membranes, lipid peroxidation was significantly elevated as indicated by increased malondialdehyde levels (p<0.05) as compared to controls. Proteolytic activity in the erythrocytes of mothers in this group was also significantly high (p<0.01). In patients delivered by lower segment cesarian section, lipid peroxidation and proteolytic activity in maternal erythrocytes were significantly high (p<0.05 and p<0.001 respectively). In patients with prolonged second stage of labour, lipid peroxidation and proteolytic activity in maternal erythrocytes was significantly higher than in controls (p<0.001 and p<0.05 respectively). In this group, endogenous protein damage due to oxidative stress was significantly high both in the mother and the fetus (p<0.001 and p<0.05 respectively).
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, International Centre for Health Sciences and Kasturba Medical College, 576 119 Manipal, Karnataka India.
authors.forename: Guruprasad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Ullas
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kamath
authors.forename: Chaerkadi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Raghothama
authors.forename: K Sujatha
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Pradeep
authors.forename: Pragna
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rao
keywords: Lower segment cesarian section; malondialdehyde; premature rupture of membranes; prolonged second stage of labour; proteolytic activity