Role of Oxidative Stress on Vaginal Bleeding during The First Trimester of Pregnant Women

BACKGROUND: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced in many metabolic and physiologic processes. Antioxidative mechanisms remove these harmful species. Our aim was to assess whether serum total antioxidant capacity and total oxidant status altered during first trimester pregnancies with vaginal bleeding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, A group of pregnant women at less than 10 weeks of gestation with vaginal bleeding (n=25) and a control group of healthy pregnancies with similar characteristics (n=25) were included. All of the patients in the two groups were matched for age, gestational age and body mass index. Serum total antioxidant capacity and total oxidant status levels were determined using a Hitachi 912 analyzer and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Characteristics, including maternal age, parity, and gestational age were similar between the two groups. Serum total antioxidant capacity levels were significantly lower in the women with vaginal bleeding than in control women (1.16 ± 0.20 vs. 1.77 ± 0.08 mmol Trolox Equiv./L; p=0.001), whereas higher total oxidant status measurements were found in women with vaginal bleeding compared to the control group (4.01 ± 0.20 vs. 2.57 ± 0.65 µmol H(2)O(2) Equiv./L; p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Increased total oxidant status might be involved in the pathophysiology of vaginal bleeding during early first trimester pregnancies.