Gynecology & Obstetrics
Open Access

Abstract

The Association between Oxidative Stress and Miscarriages among Omani Females Attending Sultan Qaboos University Hospital

Tuqa Al Lawati, Ali Al Qubtan and Clifford Abiaka

Objectives: To observe the influence of oxidative stress on spontaneous abortion in Omani women attending Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.

Materials and Methods: This is a case-control study conducted among 103 pregnant women of whom 25 (24.3%) were normal pregnant women, 25 (24.3%) were with history of abortion and 53 (51.45%) with history of spontaneous miscarriages. Reagents from Ransel (Randox Laboratories, Crumlin, UK) were prepared for the assay of glutathione peroxidase (GPx). GPx absorbance within 2 minutes was measured at 340 nm using thermostatically controlled UV-visible Spectrophotometer and the activity was calculated in U/l. The software IBM SPSS Statistics Data Editor Version 19.0.0 was used for data analysis.

Results: One hundred and three women showed decreased GPx absorbance within 2 minutes of recording. However, a decline was more significant in women with spontaneous abortion. Glutathione peroxidase activity was calculated and the results showed 1623.8 U/l in spontaneous abortion subjects compared respectively to 1396.6 U/l and 1545.4 U/l in normal pregnant women and with history of abortions. ANOVA test gave a p-value of 0.171 with a confidence of 82.9%.

Conclusion: This study showed that there is no direct association between oxidative stress and spontaneous abortions due to possible contribution of other factors such as autoimmune diseases or other inflammatory processes that might result in miscarriages. On the other hand, the results may explain how increased oxidants suppress glutathione peroxidase activity; hence more cellular damages.