Purpose: To investigate oxidant/antioxidant status in premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Methods: Study group (n = 20) consisted of PMS and control group (n = 21) consisted of normal menstruating women. The serum oxidant status was assessed by the lipid hydroperoxide (LHP), malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC); the antioxidant status was assessed by the total thiol (T-SH) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC).
Results: The study and control groups revealed no statistical difference, in terms of day 3 LHP, MDA, PC, T-SH and TAC levels. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of day 21 MDA, PC and T-SH levels. However, day 21 LHP levels were increased and TAC levels were decreased in the study group compared with the control group.
Conclusion: Increased oxidative stress and reduced antioxidant capacity may occur in PMS. It can be speculated that the imbalance of oxidant/antioxidant systems may be a cause or the consequence of the various stress symptoms in PMS.