Oxidative stress in preeclampsia: A comparative biomarker analysis across body mass index categories

Abstract Background Preeclampsia is a complex form of prenatal hypertension associated with endothelial dysfunction, systemic inflammation, and oxidative stress. This study aimed to determine the amounts of malondialdehyde, total oxidant status, and oxidative stress index in the blood of pregnant women with preeclampsia and controls, as well as how these parameters varied with body mass index. Methods The present study was a case-control study carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Turkiye, from July 2023 to May 2025. The study included 50 pregnant women with preeclampsia and 50 with normotension (control group). They were divided into three groups: normal weight, overweight, and obese, using body mass index. Serum malondialdehyde, total oxidant capacity, total antioxidant capacity, and oxidative stress index levels were measured using validated spectrophotometric techniques. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 25.0, with a significance level of p <0.05. Results Malondialdehyde, total oxidant capacity, and oxidative stress index levels were significantly higher in the preeclampsia group than in the control group. Compared with the control group, total antioxidant capacity levels were significantly lower, particularly in the obese preeclampsia subgroup ( p <0.05). Conclusions According to this study, preeclamptic women’s oxidative stress rose as their body mass index rose. Our study’s observed values suggest that they may be applied as prognostic or diagnostic biomarkers for preeclampsia. Our research might help create tailored risk evaluations and focused antioxidant treatments for high-risk pregnancies.