To assess free radical activation products and anttoxidant status in preeclampsia, serum lipid peroxides (LP) and selenium levels and red blood cell glutathione peroxidase (GSH-P.) and superoxide dismutase ( SOD ) activities were measured in 28 pregnant women with preeclampsia : eight patients with severe preeclampsia (SPE) and twenty patients with mild preeclampsia (MPE) . Twenty healthy antenatal women represented the control group. Patients with SPE had significantly higher levels of LP (3.97±0.8 nmoi/L) and lower levels of red cell GSH-Px activity (31.6+13.4 U/g Hb), red cell SOD activity (1090+192 U/g Hb) and serum selenium levels (116+51 ug/L) when compared with levels of patients with MPE (3.29+0.6 nmol/L, 43.1+15.90 U/g Hb, 1298+211 u/g Hb and 167+67 ug/L respectively and when compared with the levels of the control group (2.59+0.6 nmal/ L, 57.6+1'4.1 u/g Hb. 1511+289 U/g Hb and 228+71 Mg/L respectively). Also patient group with MPE had significantly higher levels of LP and lower levels of red blood cell GSH-Px and SOD activities and serum selenium levels when compared with the controls. Positive .significant correlation were found between levels of serum LP and the levels of blood pressure and urine protein concentration in the patient group while negative significant correlations were found with serum selenium levels and red blood cell GSH-Px and SOD activities. We concluded that the imbalance between generation of oxygen radicals and antioxidant status may have etiological implications for preeclampsia and may contribute to the severity of the disease.
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