The relationship between serum testosterone level and antioxidants status in pre-eclampsia

Abstract EN

Pre-eclampsia is a disease characterized by elevation of blood pressure and proteinuria after the 20th week of gestation.

Serum levels of testosterone, malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione, catalase, total protein, albumin, globulin, zinc, and copper were determined in sera of 50 pre- eclamptic pregnants and 50 apparently healthy pregnants who served as control.

The results revealed : A significant increment in the concentration of testosterone (p < 0.01), malondialdehyde (p < 0.01) and globulin (p < 0.05) in sera of pre-eclamptics compared to normotensive pregnants concomitant with a significant reduction in the serum level of reduced glutathione (p < 0.05), catalase (p < 0.05), total protein (p < 0.05) and albumin(p < 0.05) in sera of pre-eclamptics compared to normotensive pregnants while there is no significant difference in the level of zinc and copper (p > 0.05) in sera of pre-eclamptics compared to normotensive pregnants.

Finally a significant positive correlation between testosterone level and malondialdehyde (p < 0.01) in sera of both pre-eclamptics and normotensive pregnants, a significant negative correlation between testosterone level and catalase activity (p < 0.01) in both pre-eclamptics and normotensive pregnants, and significant negative correlation between testosterone, and reduced glutathione (p < 0.05) in pre-eclamptics ; (p < 0.01) in normotensive pregnants.