The Effect of Nitric Oxide Pollution on Oxidative Stress in Pregnant Women Living in Durban, South Africa

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect nitric oxide (NO x ) pollution had on maternal serum 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women living in Durban, South Africa (SA). Women, in their third trimester with singleton pregnancies, were recruited from the heavily industrialised south ( n = 225) and less industrialised north ( n = 152). Biomarker levels of serum 8-OHdG concentrations were analysed, and the women were genotyped for glutathione-S-transferases pi 1 (GSTP1) and glutathione-S-transferases mu 1 (GSTM1) polymorphisms. The level of NO x pollution in the two regions was determined by using land use regression modelling. The serum 8-OHdG was shown to correlate significantly with NO x levels; this relationship was strengthened in the south ( p