Total serum bilirubinemia and intensity of sulfur mustard exposure in Iranian chemical victims 20 years after exposure

Abstract

Sulfur mustard has various toxic effects. Some of the complications due to sulfur mustard toxicity are well known and some are unclear. In this study, serum total bilirubin and some hematologic parameters were evaluated in populations exposed to different doses of sulfur mustard. The sulfur mustard–exposed victims from Sardasht-Iran were divided into two groups 20 years after exposure, based on hospitalization at the time of the exposure. Studied groups were hospitalized and not hospitalized (n = 169 and n = 203, respectively). Liver function tests including total serum bilirubin, direct bilirubin, SGOT, SGPT, ALP, and hematologic parameters composed of RBC count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and RBC indexes were evaluated. Total counts for RBC, MCV and total serum bilirubin were significantly different between the two groups, but there was no statistically significant difference in direct bilirubin, SGOT, SGPT, ALP, hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCH, MCHC between the two groups.

Keywords::

• Sulfur mustard
• bilirubin
• liver function tests
• hemolysis
• Sardasht-Iran Cohort Study

Acknowledgments

This study was performed by Immunoregulation Research Center of Shahed University, and Janbazan Medical and Engineering Research Center (JMERC) and supported by the Iranian Foundation of Martyr and Veterans Affairs and Ministry of Health and Medical Education. We would like to thank all the participants who took part in this study very kindly. We also kindly thank Dr. Mohsin Reza Heidary for his critical reading of this manuscript and helpful comments.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest.