Relationship between oxidative stress and peripartum cardiomyopathy among ethnic Hausa Fulani patients

Abstract BACKGROUND: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a cardiomyopathy of an unknown etiology characterized by systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle occurring during the puerperium. It is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, especially among Hausa/Fulani of Northern Nigeria. Its etiology is poorly understood. Several hypotheses, including oxidative stress, have been proposed. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the relationship between PPCM and oxidative stress. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty PPCM and controls were recruited. Sociodemographic and clinical data were obtained using a structured questionnaire. A blood sample was taken to determine the levels of enzymatic oxidative stress markers for both groups. The data were analyzed using SPSS. Normally distributed continuous variables were summarized as mean ± standard deviation and median/interquartile range for skewed data. Categorical data were summarized using numbers and percentages. Student’s- t -test and Chi-square were used to compare the differences between groups of continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Oxidative stress markers that differed significantly between groups were subjected to regression to determine the predictors of PPCM. RESULTS: There was significantly low activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and higher serum malondialdehyde (MDA) among PPCM compared to controls. No statistically significant difference in serum catalase levels between PPCM patients compared to controls. Reduced activity of GPx and increased levels of MDA independently predicted PPCM. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates significantly high frequencies of increased markers of oxidative stress among PPCM. Reduced activity of GPx and increased levels of MDA independently predicted PPCM.