Role of Antioxidants, Environmental Exposure to Lead and Cadmium in Spontaneous Abortion.

Abstract

Background and rationale: Pregnant women exposed to even low levels of environmental lead and cadmium may experience adverse perinatal effects. Aim of the work: The aim of the present study was to search for any relation between the environmental exposure to lead and cadmium and spontaneous abortion and, to emphasize the truth about the antioxidants and their relation as a mechanism for such relation if present. Subjects and methods: 38 women were included in this study. They were divided into 2 groups: Group I: Included 14 normal pregnant women (control group). Group II: Included 24 women with spontaneous abortion (cases). All women were in their first trimester. The following investigations were performed for every woman: lead, cadmium and serum zinc, serum vitamin C, Serum glutathione and serum malondialdehyde levels. Results: Cases had statistically significant higher blood lead, cadmium levels and malondialdehyde level and, statistically significant lower serum zinc, vitamin C and glutathione levels than controls. Conclusion and Recommendations: The obtained results indicate that spontaneous abortion is accompanied by a profound disruption of the prooxidant-antioxidant homeostasis towards oxidative stress. Increased free radical activity produced by environmental exposure to lead and cadmium has been implicated in the pathogenesis of spontaneous abortion. Industrial areas have been accused as environmentally polluted with both lead and cadmium.