Aim: We investigated the association of fetal serum thiol/disulfide homeostasis and ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels with fetal distress (FD). Methods: Umbilical cord blood for native thiol, total thiol, disulfide, albumin, and IMA analysis was obtained from 44 pregnant women over 34 weeks gestation undergoing cesarean section due to non-acute FD, and from 61 healthy pregnant women who underwent elective cesarean section Results: Native thiol and total thiol levels were significantly lower in the FD group (p = 0.02 and p = 0.014, respectively). Although disulfide/native thiol and disulfide/total thiol ratios were higher in the FD group, the difference was statistically insignificant (p = 0.805). The IMA levels were significantly higher in the FD group (p = 0.013). Conclusion: The thiol-disulfide homeostasis shifts toward the oxidant direction during the FD pathogenesis and the increased IMA levels may be the best indicator of an underlying non-acute ischemic condition.
Keywords: fetal distress; ischemia-modified albumin; pregnancy outcomes; thiol/disulfide homeostasis.