Serum oxidative stress and vasoactive biomarkers in women with preeclampsia: a comparative cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58222/js.v24i3.888Keywords:
Preeclampsia, Oxidative Stress, Coenzyme Q10, Kallikrein-Kinin System, Renin-Angiotensin SystemAbstract
Background: Preeclampsia is associated with oxidative imbalance and altered vasoactive pathways. This study compared six serum biomarkers between women with preeclampsia and normotensive pregnant controls in Iraq. Methods: In a comparative cross-sectional study conducted from February to June 2026, 40 women with preeclampsia and 20 healthy pregnant controls were enrolled. Serum coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), malondialdehyde (MDA), renin, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), kallikrein-1 (KLK1), and bradykinin (BK) were measured using ELISA. Group comparisons, Pearson correlations, and exploratory receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed. Results: Mean MDA (5.97 ± 0.45 vs. 2.67 ± 0.35 nmol/mL), renin (2.35 ± 0.29 vs. 1.86 ± 0.54 pg/mL), ACE (1.08 ± 0.37 vs. 0.76 ± 0.16 U/L), and KLK1 (1.44 ± 0.49 vs. 1.10 ± 0.36 pg/mL) were higher in the preeclampsia group. CoQ10 (22.44 ± 20.56 vs. 39.43 ± 13.83 µg/mL) and BK (0.72 ± 0.22 vs. 0.99 ± 0.27 ng/mL) were lower. MDA yielded an area under the ROC curve of 1.00 within the study sample, and KLK1 correlated positively with BK among cases (r = 0.55). Conclusion: Oxidative stress and vasoactive biomarker profiles differed between groups; their diagnostic relevance requires validation in larger, representative cohorts.
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