Objective: To determine the oxidative status and serum prolidase activity in tubal ectopic pregnancy and to see if there was any association between them. MATHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted during 2009 and 2010 at the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Clinical Biochemistry under the Faculty of Medicine, Harran University, Turkey. It comprised 40 patients with tubal ectopic pregnancies and 42 women with healthy pregnancies. Serum prolidase activity was measured spectrophotometrically. Oxidative status was determined using total antioxidant capacity. SPSS 11.5 was used for statistical analysis.
Results: Total antioxidant capacity levels were lower in the ectopic pregnancy group than the healthy group (p < 0.018), whereas total oxidant status, oxidative stress index and prolidase activity were higher (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Ectopic pregnancy may be associated with increased serum prolidase activity and oxidative stress, and this association may help to provide a better understanding about the pathogenesis of ectopic pregnancy.