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Heavy metal ion concentration in the amniotic fluid of preterm and term pregnancies from two cities with different industrial output

  • Authors:
    • Radu Ionut Neamtu
    • Marius Craina
    • George Dahma
    • Alin Viorel Popescu
    • Adelina Geanina Erimescu
    • Ioana Citu
    • Amadeus Dobrescu
    • Florin George Horhat
    • Dan Dumitru Vulcanescu
    • Florin Gorun
    • Elena Silvia Bernad
    • Andrei Motoc
    • Ioan Cosmin Citu

  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: December 3, 2021     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2021.11034
  • Article Number: 111

  • Copyright: © Neamtu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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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.
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February-2022
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Spandidos Publications style
Neamtu RI, Craina M, Dahma G, Popescu AV, Erimescu AG, Citu I, Dobrescu A, Horhat FG, Vulcanescu DD, Gorun F, Gorun F, et al: Heavy metal ion concentration in the amniotic fluid of preterm and term pregnancies from two cities with different industrial output. Exp Ther Med 23: 111, 2022
APA
Neamtu, R.I., Craina, M., Dahma, G., Popescu, A.V., Erimescu, A.G., Citu, I. ... Citu, I.C. (2022). Heavy metal ion concentration in the amniotic fluid of preterm and term pregnancies from two cities with different industrial output. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 23, 111. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2021.11034
MLA
Neamtu, R. I., Craina, M., Dahma, G., Popescu, A. V., Erimescu, A. G., Citu, I., Dobrescu, A., Horhat, F. G., Vulcanescu, D. D., Gorun, F., Bernad, E. S., Motoc, A., Citu, I. C."Heavy metal ion concentration in the amniotic fluid of preterm and term pregnancies from two cities with different industrial output". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 23.2 (2022): 111.
Chicago
Neamtu, R. I., Craina, M., Dahma, G., Popescu, A. V., Erimescu, A. G., Citu, I., Dobrescu, A., Horhat, F. G., Vulcanescu, D. D., Gorun, F., Bernad, E. S., Motoc, A., Citu, I. C."Heavy metal ion concentration in the amniotic fluid of preterm and term pregnancies from two cities with different industrial output". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 23, no. 2 (2022): 111. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2021.11034