Hypertensive disorders are the most common medical complications of pregnancy. This contributes significantly to the cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. Preeclampsia is a syndrome peculiar to pregnancy characterized clinically by hypertension and proteinuria. The present study compared the levels of serum and urinary nitric oxide (NO), serum and urinary lipid peroxides and total antioxidant status between preeclamptic patients and age and sex matched normal controls. Serum NO concentration in preeclamptic women was significantly higher when compared to normal pregnant women, whereas a significant decrease was observed in urine NO level in preeclamptic woman. There was an increase in the serum total antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation product (MDA) in both serum and urine samples of pre-eclamptic women when compared to normal pregnant woman.
