DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i10.034

Pages: 3725-3728

Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of various diseases including pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). Previous studies have suggested that uric acid not only acts as an antioxidant but also act as an important factor in precipitation of disease process by inducing inflammation. However, there is no satisfactory explanation for its role in PIH. The objective of present study was to determine the level of serum urate and plasma ascorbate in PIH patients and to determine their role in disease process. Serum uric acid and plasma ascorbic acid levels were estimated by using standard methods in 40 patients of PIH and in 40 age matched healthy volunteers, served as control. The values were expressed as Mean ± SD and data from patients and controls were compared using students‘t’ test. Serum urate levels were significantly high (p<0.05) and plasma ascorbate levels were significantly low in patients as compared to control. These finding suggest that elevated serum urate level is associated with enhanced protective mechanism against oxidative stress and decreased ascorbate level is due to its free radical scavenging and urate radical repairing action in PIH. Therefore, ascorbate supplementation in drug/diet regime in these patients can prove to be protective. In addition, serum uric acid and ascorbic acid are efficient marker of oxidative stress status in PIH patients.