Hematological and hepatic alterations among copper mine workers and office employees in a copper mine in the west of Iran, 2015

Abstract

Article InfoBackground: Workers in different occupational positions experience significant Cu exposures, however, Cu toxicity has not been fully studied as compared to other heavy metals. In the present study, hematological and hepatic alterations have been investigated among copper mine workers. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in a copper mine in west of Iran, on 402 copper mine workers (study group) and 52 office employees (control group) during winter 2015. 5ml blood samples were provided from each subject and hematological and hepatic parameters including white blood cell (WBC), platelet (PLT), hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCH), lymphocytes, neutrophils, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and serum Cu levels have been determined using their commercial kits. The results were analyzed in the SPSS software using t-test and regression method. Results: ALT, AST, HGB, MCV, MCH and plasma Cu levels among the workers were significantly higher than the office employees (p<0.050). WBC and RBC counts among the workers were significantly lower than the control group (p= 0.049 and 0.024, respectively). Serum Cu levels of 215 of the workers were higher than its normal recommended range (120 µg/dl). For the subjects with serum Cu levels above 150 µg/dl, increases in AST and ALT were in compliance with serum Cu levels increase. Conclusions: Significant hepatic and hematological alteration were observed among copper miners compared to control group. Employment of workers with background hematological and hepatic disorders in copper industries must be accompanied with great caution.

Evaluation of protective effect of methanolic leaves extract of Solanum incanum in copper induced nephro-toxicity in wistar rats

“…Groups that were exposed to CuO only showed significant decrease in total sodium, chloride and bicarbonate (p< 0.05) compared to the control and other treated groups. This may be due to hepatocellular necrosis and acute tubular necrosisas as reported by Lotfi et al, (2018) [15] . There was no observed significant difference on urea, creatinine and erythropoietin between the control and the treated groups.…”

Copper Poisoning with Emphasis on Its Clinical Manifestations and Treatment of Intoxication

“…Hematologic changes have been reported: The levels of RBC and WBC, as well as hemoglobin content, are significantly decreased in individuals with copper poisoning [35]. The effects of intravenous hemolysis due to copper contact led to hemoglobinuria, causing issues such as tubular necrosis, lack of mitochondrial enzyme activity in the tubules, and acute renal failure.…”

“…This decrease could be attributed to the interaction of copper with the enzymes responsible for hemoglobin production. Additionally, coagulopathy occurs due to the direct impact of free copper ions on the coagulation cascade [12,35,46]. Reduced central nervous system activity, ranging from lethargy to coma or seizures, may be linked to the involvement of other organs.…”