2006 Volume 20 Issue 2 Pages 2_40-2_49
Purpose
In this study, we focused on biopyrrin in urine as an oxidative stress maker due to ease of measurement, less invasive risk, and its comprehensiveness as a marker of stress. The aim of this study was to explore the possible use of biopyrrin as an objective indicator of stress during pregnancy.
Method
A cross-sectional study was conducted from July to August in 2005 on 594 pregnant women and 35 non-pregnant women attending N clinic. The methods included self-reporting questionnaire, reviewing maternal records, and morning blood and urine sample collection. We measured biopyrrin in the urine and serum lipid metabolism makers such as acetoacetate, 3-hydroxybutyrate acid, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and free fatty acid and glucose metabolism markers such as glucose and glycated albumin.
Results
Urinary biopyrrin levels in the first, second and third trimesters were significantly higher than in non-pregnant women (p<0.001). The urinary biopyrrin level in the third trimester was significantly higher than that in the first and second trimesters (p<0.001). Elevated urinary biopyrrin levels were related to disease and increased symptoms of pregnancy-induced hypertension such as hypertension, urinary protein, increasing 3-hydroxy butyric acid, glucose and GHQ score, as well as decreasing HDL and fatty acid.
Conclusions
We determined that urinary biopyrrin levels were higher during pregnancy than in non-pregnant women and that third trimester levels were significantly higher than those in first and second trimesters. Other markers of general health linked to increasing urinary biopyrrin levels included increasing 3-hydroxy butyric acid, glucose and GHQ scores, and decreasing HDL and fatty acid.
