Antioxidant Vitamins and Free Radical Status in Nigerian Pre-Eclamptic Women

The status of antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, C and β-carotene) and free radical (malonyl dialdehyde) were determined in 100 pre-eclamptic and 100 normotensive pregnant women from the 24th week of pregnancy and 100 normotensive non pregnant Nigerian women. The mean values of these antioxidant vitamins were significantly lower (p<0.05) in the pre-eclamptic, compared with the normotensive pregnant and normotensive non-pregnant women respectively. The free radical level, on the contrary, was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the pre-eclamptic, compared to the normotensive pregnant and normotensive non-pregnant women respectively. However, the levels of these indices in both the normotensive pregnant and normotensive non-pregnant groups were within a very close range and the difference between the two groups were not significant (p>0.05). These results suggest that increase in the free radicals and decrease in the antioxidant vitamins concentrations are characteristic features of pre-eclamptic pregnancy. The specific point in pregnancy course that the free radical starts to rise and the antioxidant vitamins begin to decrease is a subject of further study.