Impact of Some heavy metals on thyroid gland functions

 Heavy metals, such as mercury (Hg), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) are, widely known of being toxicants, also persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and bisphenol-A (BPA), exposure have been attached to a variety of   toxic effects in human. Therefore, the aim of the present work is to study  the effect  of persistent  organic  pollutants and toxic heavy metals and their  ontamination in any type of environmental pollution resulting from terrorist and military operations in three regions of Baghdad  on  thyroid  gland  and lipid profile  in a sample of Iraqi  individual from (AL-karradah and Abo-Gharib) groups   compared    with    (AL-jadria) (control  groups ). The correlation between the thyroid hormones  thyroxine T4 , triiodothyronine T3, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and thyroglobulin-antibodies(Tg-Ab)  and the   levels   of    Pb, Cd, Hg  , (PCBs ) and (BPA)  have  been studied in the sera  of  the three  studied  groups.Seventy Five volunteers  from three Iraqi areas were  included  in  this   study.Their ages ranged between (15-65) years,  and patients with any endocrine disease and thyroid disease were excluded. Our   analysis   suggests   an inverse association   between  Hg  exposure  and thyroid hormones (TH) and an inverse association  between Pb exposure  and thyroid hormones, and  (TgAb) ,and a positive association between Hg exposure and thyroglobulin-Ab , and a positive  correlation between cadmium exposure  and  thyroid hormones and Tg-Ab.  T4 and T3 were  negatively correlated  with  (Tg-Ab) so, there  were significant positive  correlation   between   the  heavy  metals themselves. Therefore, increased heavy metal and POPs exposure may be a factor in the etiology of   hypothyroidism  diseases  and disruption   thyroid  gland   function.   The results  of  this   study revealed  that there is a direct  effects of   blood  serum Hg,  blood Serum Pb, blood serum Cd, blood serum PCBs and blood serum BPA on thyroid hormones, and also revealed the effect  of  military  and  terrorist operations  on the thyroid gland, (TgAb) and lipid profile. In the end we concluded that the heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead as well as  persistent organic pollutants such as (PCBs) and (BPA) resulting from the explosions and terrorist operations in the area of (Al-karadah , Abo-Gharib)  are higher compared with the control (Al-jadria) . This leads to many health problems to the human body especially on the thyroid gland which in turn causes a negative effect on thyroid hormones and then thyroid disease.