Evaluation of urinary oxidative stress markers, inflammatory sialoproteins and neopterin in pregnant women with intrauterine growth restriction

Introduction: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) represents major cause for perinatal morbidity and mortality. Oxidative stress and altered inflammatory response may contribute to the pathogenesis of IUGR. The present study was aimed to investigate the urinary and blood levels of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in women with IUGR. Materials and Methods: 23 pregnant women with intrauterine growth restriction and 30 healthy pregnant women were included in the present study. Detailed demographic data were collected. Total protein, albumin, total anti-oxidant status ( TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), malondialdehyde (MDA), neopterin and protein bound sialic acid (PBSA) were estimated in the blood. TOS, TAS and neopterin were measured in urine samples of women with IUGR. Results: Serum MDA (16.2 1.8) and Sialic acid (2.5 0.8) levels were significantly elevated in women with IUGR. Urinary TOS (20.4 4.4) and OSI (5.4 1.2) were significantly increased in pregnant women with IUGR. The cut off value in ROC analysis for urinary oxidative stress index was 4.6 for the diagnosis of IUGR. Conclusion: Oxidative stress in maternal blood is positively associated with the development of IUGR in pregnant women. Estimation of these parameters in serum and urine could serve as screening tool for the early prediction and diagnosis of IUGR which will further aid in the better management of neonatal health. Keywords: Intrauterine growth restriction neopterin oxidative stress index