Lipid peroxidation in pregnancy with preeclampsia and diabetes

We studied lipid peroxidation and vitamin E levels in 12 diabetic preeclamptic, 13 nondiabetic preeclamptic, 8 gestational diabetic, 25 normotensive pregnant women, and 25 healthy nonpregnant women. A significant increase in malonaldehyde (MDA) levels was observed in preeclamptic and diabetic preeclamptic women as compared to normotensive pregnant and healthy controls (p<0.001). An increase in MDA levels was observed in gestational diabetics, but the difference was not statistically significant. Likewise, a significant fall in vitamin E levels was noted in preeclamptic and diabetic preeclamptic groups as compared to controls (p<0.001). Gestational diabetics had a slight decrease in vitamin E levels relative to controls. These findings suggest that lipid peroxidation plays a role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.