Assessment Hemolytic Effect of Lead, Cadmium and Copper on Erythrocytes of Pregnant Women

Background: Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements characterized by their elevated density and atomic weight. These elements are present in varying proportions within the Earth's soil and rock formations, their distribution contingent upon geographical location. Heavy metals, such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, and mercury, have been identified as substances that can adversely affect the reproductive system. These heavy metals are particularly harmful to the developing fetus. Objective: to assess the hemolytic effect of lead cadmium copper on the erythrocytes of pregnant women and study reduced glutathione concentration in pregnant women with anemia compared with healthy pregnant. Material and method: Blood samples were collected from pregnant women around Kirkuk governorate, Iraq. In addition to 30 samples for glutathione estimation (15 from anemia pregnant women and 15 from control). The study concerns the effect of different concentrations of single metal (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100) mM from Pb, (20, 15,10,5, and 1 ) mM from Cd, and (10, 7, 5, 3 and 1) mM from Cu individually on the erythrocytes hemolysis. Also, this study concerns the effect of the combined metals on the hemolysis of erythrocytes, which represent double (Cd: Pb) ,(Pb: Cu) &(Cd: Cu), and triple (Pb:Cd: Cu) metals with different concentrations on erythrocytes hemolysis. Glutathione concentration estimated in three trimesters in pregnant with anemia compared to healthy pregnant Results: The results showed that the hemolysis achieved by accessing the concentration of the metals, with (100) mM pb the range of hemolysis is between (94-96)% of the three trimesters, with (20) mM Cd the range of hemolysis is between (89-99)% of the three trimesters and (10) mM Cu the range of hemolysis is between (65-76)% of 3 trimesters, effect of the metals in first trimester Cd(99%)\(>>\)Pb(94%)\(>>\)Cu(65%), second trimester Cd(97%)\(>>\)Pb( 96\%)\(>>\)Cu(76%) and third trimester Pb(96\%)$>>$Cd(89\%)$>>$Cu(72\%). The levels of GSH that there were indicated non-significant ( p\(\geq\) 0.05) difference in all patients and subdivided trimesters compared to the control.