OBJECTIVE To evaluate lipid peroxidation and the serum levels of the antioxidant vitamin E in pre-eclampsia according to the disease severity. METHODS Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and vitamin E levels were measured in 18 pre-eclamptic, 15 eclamptic and 25 normotensive pregnant women in Ondokuz Mayis University Hospital. The correlation of these levels with the factors indicating disease severity was tested. Mann-Whitney U-test and correlation coefficients were used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS Both the pre-eclamptic and the eclamptic patients had higher MDA and lower vitamin E levels compared with control (P < 0.05); but these values were not significantly different from each other (P > 0.05). MDA levels were significantly correlated with the systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) and with serum uric acid levels. There was significant but negative correlation with the vitamin E levels. CONCLUSIONS There is an imbalance between lipid peroxidation and serum vitamin E levels in pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Increased lipid peroxidation is well correlated with the increase in systolic and diastolic BP measurements and serum uric acid levels.