Organochlorine pesticide residue levels and oxidative stress in preterm delivery cases.

A number of studies have focused attention on various biochemical abnormalities evoked due to exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The aim of the present study was to analyze the OCP residues in maternal and cord blood of women and assess the levels of different non-enzymatic oxidative stress markers as well as to establish correlation with OCP levels, if any. Thirty women in each group of full-term delivery (FTD; > or =37 weeks of gestation) and preterm delivery (PTD; <37 weeks of gestation) were enrolled in this study. Levels of OCPs like Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), endosulfan, p,p(') Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and p,p' Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were analyzed by gas chromatography. Non-enzymatic oxidative stress was measured by the quantification of malondialhyde (MDA), protein carbonyl, reduced glutathione (GSH) and ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP). MDA and protein carbonyl levels were increased significantly, while the levels of GSH and FRAP were decreased in PTD in comparison to FTD cases. We have observed higher levels of beta-HCH and alpha-endosulfan and increased oxidative stress in PTD than FTD cases. In PTD cases, a significant positive correlation was observed between maternal blood levels of beta-HCH and MDA (r = .78), beta-HCH and GSH (r = -.65), gamma-HCH and MDA (r = .89), gamma-HCH and GSH (r = -.74) and alpha-endosulfan and MDA (r = .54) in PTD cases. We also found significant correlations between cord blood levels of beta-HCH and MDA (r = .59), beta-HCH and GSH (r = -.69), gamma-HCH and MDA (r = .62) and alpha-endosulfan and MDA (r = .54) in PTD cases. In conclusion, our results suggest that higher levels of some of the OCP residues may be associated with PTD and increased oxidative stress.