Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate antioxidant balance in pregnant women with meconium-stained amniotic fluid.
Methods: Forty pregnant women with meconium-stained amniotic fluid and 40 pregnant women with non-meconium-stained amniotic fluid were included in the study. By checking the ischemia modified albumin (IMA) level and thiol/disulfide homeostasis in the maternal blood during labor and in newborn umbilical cord blood at the first minute after birth, antioxidant/oxidant balance was evaluated.
Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the maternal albumin levels. Maternal IMA level was statistically significantly higher in the meconium group than in the control group (p = .045). Maternal native thiol (SH) and maternal total thiol levels were statistically significantly higher in the control group than in the meconium group (p = .042 and p = .009, respectively). No statistically significant difference was found between maternal disulfide/native thiol (p = .262), maternal disulfide/total thiol (p = .152), maternal native thiol/total thiol (p = .153) rates in both groups. No statistically significant difference was determined between the patients with meconium and the control group in terms of cord blood IMA (p = .474), Albumin levels (p = .664), cord blood Native thiol (p = .944), cord blood total thiol (p = .612) levels and cord blood disulfide/native thiol (p = .240), cord blood disulfide/total thiol (p = .276), cord blood native thiol/total thiol (p = .277) rates.
Conclusion: Determination of a decrease in SH and Total Thiol levels in maternal serum and an increase in the meconium group's IMA level was interpreted as a shift of antioxidant balance toward oxidant in this group.
Keywords: Meconium; native thiol; oxidative stress; thiol/disulfide.