Published Online
on August 23, 2004

A more recent version of this article appeared on October 1, 2004

This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 44/4/374    most recent 01.HYP.0000141085.98320.01v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Raijmakers, M. T.M. Articles by Poston, L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Raijmakers, M. T.M. Articles by Poston, L. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Antioxidants High Risk Pregnancy Related Collections Other hypertension Other Vascular biology

Submitted on June 4, 2004
Revised on June 30, 2004

Oxidative Stress and Preeclampsia. Rationale for Antioxidant Clinical Trials

Maarten T.M. Raijmakers; Ralf Dechend; and Lucilla Poston^*

From Maternal and Fetal Research Unit (M.T.M.R., L.P.), Division of Reproductive Health, Endocrinology, and Development, King’s College Hospital, St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK; and HELIOS Clinic (R.D.), Franz-Volhard Clinic, Charite, Campus Berlin-Buch, Germany.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: lucilla.poston{at}kcl.ac.uk.

Abstract--Preeclampsia remains a frequent and potentially dangerous complication of pregnancy. The cause remains largely unknown, but oxidative stress and a generalized inflammatory state are features of the maternal syndrome. The placenta appears to be the principal source of free radical synthesis but maternal leukocytes and the maternal endothelium are also likely contributors. Recent reports have suggested an important role for placental trophoblast NAD(P)H oxidase in free radical generation in preeclampsia. The antioxidant vitamin E is now known to have multiple actions in addition to prevention of lipid peroxidation (ie, inhibition of NAD(P)H oxidase activation and the inflammatory response). In view of the abnormally low plasma vitamin C concentrations in preeclampsia, a combination of vitamins C and E is a promising prophylactic strategy for prevention of preeclampsia. Several multicenter randomized clinical trials are now underway. The potential use of antioxidants and the recognized, albeit modest, benefit of low-dose aspirin prophylaxis have heightened the need for a reliable predictive test for preeclampsia. A combination test involving several relevant biomarkers is likely to provide the best predictive potential.

Key words: preeclampsia • oxidative stress • antioxidants • free radicals

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Nambiar, S. Viswanathan, B. Zachariah, N. Hanumanthappa, and Sridhar Gopalakrishna Magadi Oxidative Stress in Prehypertension: Rationale for Antioxidant Clinical Trials Angiology, April 1, 2009; 60(2): 221 - 234. [Abstract] [PDF]

				B. D. LaMarca, J. Gilbert, and J. P. Granger Recent Progress Toward the Understanding of the Pathophysiology of Hypertension During Preeclampsia Hypertension, April 1, 2008; 51(4): 982 - 988. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. V. Ilekis, U. M. Reddy, and J. M. Roberts Review Article: Preeclampsia A Pressing Problem: An Executive Summary of a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Workshop Reproductive Sciences, September 1, 2007; 14(6): 508 - 523. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. Biondi, B. Pavan, A. Dalpiaz, S. Medici, L. Lunghi, and F. Vesce Expression and characterization of vitamin C transporter in the human trophoblast cell line HTR-8/SVneo: effect of steroids, flavonoids and NSAIDs Mol. Hum. Reprod., January 1, 2007; 13(1): 77 - 83. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Meziani, A. Tesse, E. David, M. C. Martinez, R. Wangesteen, F. Schneider, and R. Andriantsitohaina Shed Membrane Particles from Preeclamptic Women Generate Vascular Wall Inflammation and Blunt Vascular Contractility Am. J. Pathol., October 1, 2006; 169(4): 1473 - 1483. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Jeyabalan and S. N. Caritis Antioxidants and the prevention of preeclampsia--unresolved issues. N. Engl. J. Med., April 27, 2006; 354(17): 1841 - 1843. [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. J. Pepine, R. A. Kerensky, C. R. Lambert, K. M. Smith, G. O. von Mering, G. Sopko, and C. N. Bairey Merz Some Thoughts on the Vasculopathy of Women With Ischemic Heart Disease J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., February 7, 2006; 47(3_Suppl_S): S30 - S35. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Roberts and H. S. Gammill Preeclampsia: Recent Insights Hypertension, December 1, 2005; 46(6): 1243 - 1249. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. W. Redman and I. L. Sargent Latest Advances in Understanding Preeclampsia Science, June 10, 2005; 308(5728): 1592 - 1594. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]