Placental Superoxide Dismutase Activity and Genetic Polymorphism in Preeclampsia and Normal Pregnancy

Park, Mi Hye; Kim, Young Joo; Ann, Jung Ja; Kim, Jong Il; Chun, Sun Hee

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to investigate urinary malondialdehyde (MDA), manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) activity and polymorphism in placental tissues of women with preeclampsia and to evaluate oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia.
METHODS
Urins and placental tissues were obtained from 20 normal and 20 preeclamptic women at 3rd trimester. Urinary MDA was assayed by an high performanance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The placental Mn-SOD activity was assayed by westen blotting and The placental Mn-SOD genotyping was assayed by PCR-RFLP. Data were analyzed statistically using Student's t-test and Chi-square test.
RESULTS
1) Urinary concentration of MDA was not significantly different in preeclampsia (4.43+/-2.37 ug/g) as compared with normotensive pregnancy (4.39+/-1.17 ug/g). 2) Preeclamptic women had similar Mn-SOD activity in placenta (1.04+/-0.04U/mL protein) as compared with normotensive pregnancy (1.44+/-0.34 U/mL protein). 3) No significant difference in the polymorphismthe of Mn-SOD genotype in placenta was observed between preeclampsia and normotensive pregnancy (X2=0.06, p>0.05)
CONCLUSION
The findings in this study do not show that oxidative stress might be a pathogenetically relevent process causally contributing to the disease, and polymorphism in the Mn-SOD genotype in placenta do not seem to be risk factors for preeclampsia.