Umbilical cord blood markers of oxidative stress in pregnancies complicated by preterm prelabor rupture of membranes

Abstract

Objective: To determine umbilical cord blood total antioxidant capacity (TAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances (TBARS), advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and markers of oxidative stress in pregnancies complicated by preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) and their associations with microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity (MIAC) and/or histological chorioamnionitis (HCA), funisitis and selected aspects of short-term neonatal morbidity.

Materials and methods: One hundred and sixty-five women with singleton pregnancies complicated by PPROM were included in this study. Blood samples were obtained by venipuncture from the umbilical cord vein after the delivery of the newborn. The umbilical cord blood concentrations of TAC, FRAP, TBARS and AGEs were measured.

Results: The presence of MIAC, HCA and funisitis did not show differences in the umbilical cord blood TAC, FRAP, TBARS and AGEs concentrations. Positive correlations were found between the gestational age at sampling and umbilical cord blood TAC and AGEs concentrations (TAC: rho = 0.26; p = 0.001; AGEs: rho = 0.35; p < 0.0001). There was no association between umbilical cord blood TAC, FRAP, TBARS and AGEs concentrations and selected aspects of short-term neonatal morbidity.

Conclusions: Oxidative stress is associated with PPROM, as indicated by the presence of markers tested in the umbilical cord blood; however, the evaluated oxidative stress markers are not influenced by the presence of MIAC and/or HCA, and funisitis or subsequent development of selected aspects of short-term neonatal morbidity.

• Advanced glycation end products
• ferric reducing antioxidant power
• histological chorioamnionitis
• microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity
• preterm delivery
• rupture of membranes
• thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances
• total antioxidant capacity

Declaration of interest

This work was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Health, Czech Republic (NT13461-4/2012), and by the REVOGENE project, ITMS 26240220067, which is supported by the Research & Development Operational Program funded by ERDF. Additional support came from Charles University in Prague, the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic, project “PRVOUK” P37/10, the Faculty Hospital in Hradec Kralove (a long-term organization development plan). The authors report that they have no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.