Heavy Metals Can either Aid or Oppose the Protective Function of the Placental Barrier

Enas R. Abdel Hameed; Manal Abdelkader Shehata; Hisham Waheed; Ola M. Abdel Samie; Hanaa H. Ahmed; Lobna S. Sherif; Amira Ahmed

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2019.709

Authors

Enas R. Abdel Hameed Child Health Department, Medical Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
Manal Abdelkader Shehata Child Health Department, Medical Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
Hisham Waheed Child Health Department, Medical Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
Ola M. Abdel Samie Child Health Department, Medical Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
Hanaa H. Ahmed Hormones Department, Medical Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
Lobna S. Sherif Child Health Department, Medical Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
Amira Ahmed El-Galaa Teaching Hospital, Cairo, Egypt

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2019.709

Keywords:

Heavy metals, Maternal blood, Cord blood, Placental permeability

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In developing countries, toxic heavy metals are a threatening catastrophe to human health, particularly in the vulnerable group of pregnant mothers and their fetuses. Fortunately, the placenta can be a protective barrier to the fetuses.

AIM: To explore the relationship between serum lead, cadmium and arsenic levels in pregnant mothers and their newborns, to address the placental barrier in this situation.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 pregnant mothers at the time of labour and their newborns. Serum cadmium, lead, and arsenic levels were measured using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry.

RESULTS: All the studied heavy metals concentrations showed a significant elevation in the maternal blood relative to the cord blood. There was a significant association between the maternal lead and both fetal lead and arsenic. Meanwhile, a negative but insignificant correlation was recorded between the maternal cadmium and each of the fetal cadmium, lead, and arsenic.

CONCLUSION: The study findings indicated a weak relation between maternal and fetal blood heavy metals, except for the influence of maternal lead, so it can be assumed that the placental barriers are partially protective against those toxic pollutants, putting into consideration the influence of their different natures.