Pregnancy-induced Lipid Peroxidation and Oxidative Stress in Ghanaian Women with Normal Pregnancies

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2011-04-18
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Introduction: Pregnancy is associated with complex physical and biochemical events which exert enormous effect on the expectant mother as well as foetus. Oxidative stress has been proposed as one of the complex biochemical events associated with disease aetiology and its concommitant effect can affect pregnancy outcomes. This however has not been elucidated thus the aim of this study was to evaluate the status of Malondialdehyde (MDA)- a lipid peroxidation biochemical marker of oxidative stress and the lipid profiles of Ghanaian women with normal pregnancy. Methodology: This was a crossectional study of subjects in which convenience sampling technique was used to select 239 women with uncomplicated pregnancy that reported for regular antenatal care at the James Town Maternity of the Ussher Polyclinic in the Accra metroplolis of Ghana. The pregnant women were divided into three groups according to the gestational age,first trimester, second trimester and third trimester. Each semester had 81, 125 and 33 subjects respectively recruited for the purpose of this study. Forty-eight(48) age matched non-pregnant women were recruited as controls. Lipid peroxidation was assessed by the measurement of serum Malondialdehyde (MDA), thio-barbituric reactive substance (TBARS) and serum lipid profiles using standardised methods. Results: The mean ages for the pregnant women (study group) and the non-pregnant (control group) were 24.6 and 25.8 years respectively. Both the study and control groups had similar mean age (p = 0.1845). The systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures were statistically significantly elevated in the study group (p = 0.0001). In addition, the difference in the mean body mass index (BMI) of the two groups was significant (p < 0.007). Serum Malondialdehyde (MDA) level, the lipid peroxidation marker was significantly raised in women with normal pregnancy (1.5± 0.3 μmol/L) (p < 0.05) compared to non-pregnant women (1.2 ± 0.2 μmol/L). Serum MDA levels were significantly increased in all the trimesters of normal pregnancy compared with nonpregnant women. A significantly positive correlation was seen between MDA levels and total Cholesterol (p < 0.05) , triglycerides (p < 0.05) and LDL Cholesterol ( p < 0.05) in all the three trimesters of normal pregnancy. Conclusion: Ghanaian pregnant women with normal pregnancy are prone to dyslipidemia and experience a markedly raised intensity of lipid peroxidation compared to their nonpregnant counterparts and this rise in intensity showed a significant positive correlation with an increase in gestational age.
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A Thesis submitted to the Department of Molecular Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology,in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Master of Philosophy Degree in Chemical Pathology.
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