1
|
Neamtu RI, Craina M, Dahma G, Popescu AV, Erimescu AG, Citu I, Dobrescu A, Horhat FG, Vulcanescu DD, Gorun F, Bernad ES, Motoc A, Citu IC. Heavy metal ion concentration in the amniotic fluid of preterm and term pregnancies from two cities with different industrial output. Exp Ther Med 2022; 23:111. [PMID: 34970334 PMCID: PMC8713173 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.11034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The growth and development of the fetus is a complex phenomenon that can be influenced by several variables. High quantities of heavy metal ions in the amniotic fluid have been linked to poor health, especially in industrial, polluted and poor areas. The aim of the present study was to assess the differences in the concentration of these ions between preterm (weeks 15-37) and term pregnancies (starting at week 37). Another objective was to compare pregnancies from two cities with different industry levels. Two sample lots from two Romanian cities were analyzed. A total of 100 patients from Timisoara were compared with 60 from Petrosani, a heavy industry city in Romania. Demographic data were collected, and amniocentesis was performed on all women. Lead (Pb), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) concentrations were assessed. Descriptive and analytical statistics were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test for non-parametric data and the Fisher's exact test for categorical data. In addition, categorical data was represented graphically. In the Timisoara cohort, the differences in heavy metal concentrations between preterm and term pregnancies were not statistically significant. In the Petrosani cohort, however, the concentrations of Zn (P=0.02606) and Cd (P=0.01512) were higher in preterm than in term pregnancies. When comparing the two cohorts as a whole, the concentration of Pb (P=0.04513), Cd (P=0.00002), As (P=0.03027) and Zn (P<0.00001) were higher in the patients from Petrosani than in those from Timisoara. Only Cu concentrations were higher in the Timisoara cohort (P<0.00001). The concentrations of Ni (P=0.78150) and Fe (P=0.44540) did not differ statistically. Thus, amniocentesis is an important diagnostic and exploratory tool in determining differences in the concentrations of elements such as heavy metal ions. Research over a longer period of time should be carried out to examine the relation between heavy metal ions concentration and possible postnatal health outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Radu Ionut Neamtu
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Marius Craina
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - George Dahma
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Alin Viorel Popescu
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Adelina Geanina Erimescu
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Ioana Citu
- Department of Internal Medicine I, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Amadeus Dobrescu
- Department of Surgery, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Florin George Horhat
- Multidisciplinary Research Center on Antimicrobial Resistance (Multi-Rez), Microbiology Department, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania.,Clinical Laboratory, 'Louis Turcanu' Emergency Hospital for Children, 300011 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Dan Dumitru Vulcanescu
- Multidisciplinary Research Center on Antimicrobial Resistance (Multi-Rez), Microbiology Department, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania.,Clinical Laboratory, 'Louis Turcanu' Emergency Hospital for Children, 300011 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Florin Gorun
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Elena Silvia Bernad
- Department of Internal Medicine I, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Andrei Motoc
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania.,Department of Anatomy and Embryology, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Ioan Cosmin Citu
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, 'Victor Babes' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| |
Collapse
|