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Background: Lower socioeconomic status (SES) and elevated psychosocial stress are known contributors to adverse pregnancy outcomes; however, biological mechanisms linking these factors to adverse pregnancy outcomes are not well-characterized. Oxidative stress may be an important, yet understudied mechanistic pathway. We used a pooled study design to examine biological, behavioral, and social factors as predictors of prenatal oxidative stress biomarkers., Methods: Leveraging four pregnancy cohorts from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program spanning multiple geographic regions across the United States (U.S.) (N = 2082), we measured biomarkers of oxidative stress in urine samples at up to three time points during pregnancy, including 8-isoprostane-prostaglandin F 2α (8-isoPGF 2α ), its major metabolite, 2,3-dinor-5,6-dihydro-15-F 2t -isoprostane, and prostaglandin F 2α (PGF 2α ). Maternal age, pre-pregnancy body mass index, marital/partnered status, parity, and smoking status were included as biological and behavioral factors while race/ethnicity, maternal education, and stressful life events were considered social factors. We examined associations between each individual biological, behavioral, and social factor with oxidative stress biomarkers using multivariable-adjusted linear mixed models., Results: Numerous biological, behavioral, and social factors were associated with elevated levels of 8-isoPGF 2α , its major metabolite, and PGF 2α . Pregnant people who were current smokers relative to non-smokers or had less than a high school education relative to a college degree had 11.04% (95% confidence interval [CI] = -1.97%, 25.77%) and 9.13% (95% CI = -1.02%, 20.32%) higher levels of 8-isoPGF 2α , respectively., Conclusions: Oxidative stress biomarkers are elevated among pregnant people with higher socioeconomic disadvantage and may represent one pathway linking biological, behavioral, and social factors to adverse pregnancy and child health outcomes, which should be explored in future work., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Oxidative stress is a biological imbalance in reactive oxygen species and antioxidants. Increased oxidative stress during pregnancy has been associated with adverse birth outcomes. Omega-3 fatty acid (n-3 FA) supplementation may decrease oxidative stress; however, this relationship is seldom examined during pregnancy. This study assessed the association between n-3 FA supplement use during pregnancy and urinary oxidative stress biomarker concentrations. Data came from The Infant Development and the Environment Study (TIDES), a prospective cohort study that recruited pregnant women in 4 US cities between 2010-2012. Third trimester n-3 FA intake was self-reported. Third trimester urinary 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α) was measured as an oxidative stress biomarker. Additionally, we measured the major metabolite of 8-iso-PGF2α and Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and utilized the 8-iso-PGF2α to PGF2α ratio to calculate the change in 8-iso-PGF2α reflecting oxidative stress versus inflammation. Adjusted linear models were used to determine associations with control for confounding. Of 725 women, 165 reported n-3 FA supplement use in the third trimester. In adjusted linear models, n-3 FA use was associated with 10.2% lower levels of 8-iso-PGF2α (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: -19.6, 0.25) and 10.3% lower levels of the metabolite (95% CI: -17.1, -2.91). No associations were observed with PGF2α. The lower levels of 8-iso-PGF2α appeared to reflect a decrease in oxidative stress (percent change with supplement use: -18.7, 95% CI: -30.1, -5.32) rather than inflammation. Overall, third trimester n-3 FA intake was associated with lower concentrations of 8-iso-PGF2α and its metabolite, suggesting a decrease in maternal oxidative stress during pregnancy., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Oxidative stress has been implicated in numerous birth outcomes, including spontaneous preterm birth. However, the relationship with presentation at delivery has been less well studied. We assessed the relationship between oxidative stress biomarkers and gestational duration with a focus on spontaneous presentation for delivery., Methods: Our sample included 740 women from a multi-center prospective cohort study, recruited from 2010 to 2012. Resultant measures of oxidative stress in pregnancy prostaglandin F 2α (PGF 2α ), 8-iso-prostaglandin F 2α (8-iso-PGF 2α ), and the primary 8-iso-PGF 2α metabolite were measured in third trimester urine samples. Information on presentation for delivery was abstracted from medical records. We examined associations with preterm birth using adjusted logistic models. Time to event (overall delivery and spontaneous delivery) was examined using adjusted accelerated failure time models., Results: The 8-iso-PGF 2α metabolite was associated with increased odds of overall preterm birth (OR: 1.44 [95% CI: 1.00, 2.06]), and the association with spontaneous preterm birth was similar in magnitude but not statistically significant (OR: 1.45 [95% CI: 0.96, 2.20]). We did not detect associations between other biomarkers and preterm birth, or between biomarkers and timing of overall or spontaneous delivery in accelerated failure time models., Conclusions: Our data suggest that increased oxidative stress, as indicated by the 8-iso-PGF 2α metabolite, may be associated with preterm birth. In contrast to previous studies, associations were similar among individuals with spontaneous versus non-spontaneous presentation for delivery., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Prenatal psychological stress during pregnancy has been associated with adverse reproductive outcomes. A growing animal literature supports an association between psychological stress and oxidative stress. We assessed this relationship in pregnant women, hypothesising that psychological stress is associated with higher concentrations of oxidative stress biomarkers during pregnancy., Methods: Psychosocial status and stressful life events (SLE) were self-reported. 8-iso-prostaglandin F 2α (8-iso-PGF 2α ) was measured as a biomarker of oxidative stress in urine samples at median 32 weeks' gestation. We examined SLEs individually (ever vs never) and in summary (any vs none) and psychosocial status as measured by individual subscales and in summary (poor vs good). Linear models estimated associations between these parameters and urinary 8-iso-PGF 2α concentrations after adjusting for covariates., Results: The geometric mean of 8-iso-PGF 2α was significantly higher among pregnant women who were non-White, smokers, had less than a college education, higher pre-pregnancy BMI and were unmarried. Having ever had a death in the family (n = 39) during pregnancy was associated with a 22.9% increase in 8-iso-PGF 2α in unadjusted models (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.50, 48.8). Poor psychosocial status was associated with a 13.1% (95% CI 2.43, 25.0) greater mean 8-iso-PGF 2α in unadjusted analyses. Associations were attenuated, but remained suggestive, after covariate adjustment., Conclusions: These data suggest that 8-iso-PGF 2α is elevated in pregnant women with who are at a sociodemographic disadvantage and who have higher psychological stress in pregnancy. Previous studies have observed that 8-iso-PGF 2α levels are associated with adverse birth outcomes, oxidative stress could be a mediator in these relationships., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)