Oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses in pregnant women

Figures & data

Table 1. Clinical characteristics of the study population

	Control group	Normal pregnancy group
Age (years)	35.16 ± 1.52	35.80 ± 1.32
Gestational age (weeks/range)	–	29.8 ± 0.71
Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)	112.5 ± 3.16	110.0 ± 2.07
Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)	72.90 ± 2.49	70.66 ± 2.17
Erythrocytes (RBC) (10^6/mm^3)	4.38 ± 0.07	3.89 ± 0.11**
Hemoglobin (HGB) (g/dl)	13.26 ± 0.25	11.98 ± 0.29**
Hematocrit (HCT) (%)	40.0 ± 0.76	35.0 ± 0.87***
n	8–9	14–30

Results are expressed as the mean value ± SEM (n = 39). Data were analyzed by unpaired t-test. **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001.

Table 2. Values of antioxidant substances in blood from NP and controls

	Control group	Normal pregnancy group
Superoxide dismutase (U SOD/mg protein)	38.0 ± 2.09	43.5 ± 1.47*
Catalase (units/mg of protein)	13.75 ± 1.43	17.15 ± 0.33**
Ascorbic acid (μmol/l)	4.25 ± 0.75	2.77 ± 0.25*
Total sulfhydryl content (μmol SH/ml of plasma)	0.67 ± 0.04	0.36 ± 0.02***
n	7–9	11–30

Results are expressed as the mean value ± SEM for n = 7–30. Independent experiments performed in triplicate.

Data were analyzed by unpaired t-test. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001.

Figure 1. Box-whisker plot of protein carbonyl content in serum obtained from the control group (C) and the normal pregnant group (NP). Data represent the mean value ± standard error of the mean for 23 individuals. P > 0.05 for NP when compared with the C.

Figure 2. Box–Whisker plot of MDA content in serum obtained from the control group (C) and the normal pregnant group (NP). Data represent the mean value ± standard error of the mean for 27 individuals. **P < 0.01 for NP when compared with the C.

Figure 3. Pearson's correlation between SOD and CAT in citrated whole blood (P < 0.05).