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Trace elements and oxidative stress in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Due to increased metabolic requests, pregnancy can be considered as metabolic stress, especially if associated with oxidative stress triggered by disbalance of pro/antioxidants. The aim of the study was to determine serum concentrations of the trace elements iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) important in growth regulation and pro/anti-oxidant homeostasis, in relation to the total serum oxidant capacity (TOC) and total serum antioxidant capacity (TAC) in pregnant women with preeclampsia (n = 30) or with gestational hypertension (n = 30) and in healthy pregnant women (n = 37) and non-pregnant women (n = 30) as control groups expecting common differences between all pregnant women and controls and between preeclampsia and the other pregnancies indicating specific disbalance of the oxidative stress and analyzed trace elements.

Methods

Serum Fe was determined by spectrophotometric method, Cu and Zn were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry, TOC was determined by Enzymatic ANTIOX-CAP assay and TAC by Peroxide-activity assay.

Results

Serum Cu and TOC were significantly higher while Zn was lower in all pregnant groups regardless of hypertensive disorders. Serum Fe and TAC concentrations were found to be significantly higher in pregnant women with preeclampsia compared to pregnant controls.

Conclusion

Increase of TOC in all pregnant women our study points to latent oxidative stress in pregnancy. Fe might have a role in etiopathogenesis of preeclampsia while the increase of TAC in the very beginning of preeclampsia might represent a stressdefence mechanism of the body. It has still to be revealed whether significantly higher serum Fe levels are associated with preeclampsia as a cause or as a consequence of this disorder.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital “Merkur”, Zajčeva 19, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Vanja Fenzl & Željko Duić

  2. University of Applied Health Studies, Mlinarska Cesta 38, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Vanja Fenzl

  3. Institute of Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital “Merkur”, Zajčeva 19, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Zlata Flegar-Meštrić & Sonja Perkov

  4. Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Zagreb University, Ante Kovačića 1, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Zlata Flegar-Meštrić

  5. Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Luka Andrišić & Neven Žarković

  6. Department of Biochemical Engineering, University of Applied Sciences, Technikum Wien, Hoechstaedtplatz 5, 1200, Vienna, Austria

    Franz Tatzber

  7. Faculty of Medicine, Rijeka University, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000, Rijeka, Croatia

    Željko Duić

  8. Bijenicka 52, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Vanja Fenzl

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  1. Vanja Fenzl
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  2. Zlata Flegar-Meštrić
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Correspondence to Vanja Fenzl.

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Fenzl, V., Flegar-Meštrić, Z., Perkov, S. et al. Trace elements and oxidative stress in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Arch Gynecol Obstet 287, 19–24 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-012-2502-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-012-2502-4

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