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. 2025 Jun;32(6):1998-2009.
doi: 10.1007/s43032-025-01863-1. Epub 2025 Apr 15.

Maternal Thrombophilia Disrupts Fetal Redox Homeostasis

Natasa Z Djordjevic  1 , Tanja R Novakovic  2 , Zana C Dolicanin  3 , Nikola D Jovic  4   5 , Goran M Babic  4   5
Affiliations

Maternal Thrombophilia Disrupts Fetal Redox Homeostasis

Natasa Z Djordjevic et al. Reprod Sci. 2025 Jun.

Abstract

Considering that the fetal redox homeostasis is a key factor for normal prenatal development, this study researched the effects of maternal thrombophilia on fetal redox homeostasis by assessing the redox profile of amniotic fluid cells and amniotic fluid during the second trimester of pregnancy. Concentration of redox biomarkers (superoxide anion, O2.-; hydrogen peroxide, H2O2; nitric oxide, NO; peroxynitrite, ONOO-; lipid peroxides, LPO, micronuclei, reduced glutathione, GSH; oxidized glutathione, GSSG) were assayed in the amniotic fluid cells and amniotic fluid of healthy pregnant women and pregnant women with thrombophilia gestational age from 16 to 18 weeks. Results of this study indicate that pregnant women with thrombophilia have significantly higher concentrations of O2.-, NO, ONOO-, and LPO but lower concentrations of H2O2, GSH, and GSSG in the amniotic fluid cells, as well as a higher concentration of GSSG in the amniotic fluid. No difference is shown in concentration of O2.-, H2O2, NO, ONOO-, LPO, and GSH in the amniotic fluid, as well as in frequency of micronuclei in the amniotic fluid cells among investigated groups of pregnant women. The present study provides the first evidence that babies born to mothers with thrombophilia in the second trimester of intrauterine life experience intense oxidative stress characterized by overproduction of O2.-, NO, ONOO-, and LPO, as well as GSH depletion.

Keywords: Amniotic fluid; Fetal cells; Maternal thrombophilia; Oxidative stress; Redox homeostasis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical Approval: Approval of the study protocol was guaranteed by the Ethics Committee of the University Clinical Center Kragujevac (No. 01/1014). The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice. After familiarization with the study protocol, informed consent was obtained from all pregnant women who were included in the research. Competing Interests: None.

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