The Maternal Thiol/Disulfide Homeostasis Does Not Change in Pregnancies Complicated by Preterm Prelabor Rupture of Membranes

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the maternal thiol/disulfide homeostasis in pregnant women complicated by preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) and to compare the results with healthy pregnancies. Materials and methods: This cohort study consisted of thirty-nine pregnancies complicated by PPROM and 44 gestational age-matched healthy pregnancies in the third trimester of gestation. Maternal serum samples were obtained at the day of diagnosis, and thiol/disulfide profiles were measured by using an automated assay method. The patients were followed till delivery, and perinatal outcomes were noted. Results: The maternal native thiol (319.9 +/- 30.5 mu mol/L versus 305.1 +/- 49.2 mu mol/L, p:.100), total thiol (379.2 +/- 38.8 mu mol/L versus 363.6 +/- 56.4 mu mol/L, p: .142) and disulfide (29.7 +/- 11.7 mu mol/L versus 29.3 +/- 10.1 mu mol/L, p: .864) levels were similar between the groups. Maternal disulfide/native thiol, disulfide/total thiol and native thiol/total thiol ratios were similar between the groups (p: .610, p: .565 and .562, respectively). The maternal serum thiol/disulfide profiles were not significantly correlated with maternal serum C-reactive protein, white blood cell count values and ongoing pregnancy outcomes (p>.05). Conclusions: The current study demonstrated that there was not any disturbance in maternal thiol/disulfide homeostasis in pregnancies complicated by PPROM at the time of initial diagnosis. Follow-up studies with larger sample size are needed to confirm our results.