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Volume 19, Issue 1 (2-2025)
IJT 2025, 19(1): 17-25 |
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Ethics code: IR.KUMS.REC.1398.960
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Sharafi K, Nakhaee S, Mansouri B, Rahami B, Amirabadizadeh A, Tavakol K. Comparative Analyses of Serum Toxic Heavy Metal Ions in Opium Addicts and Healthy Controls. IJT 2025; 19 (1) :17-25
URL: http://ijt.arakmu.ac.ir/article-1-1405-en.html
URL: http://ijt.arakmu.ac.ir/article-1-1405-en.html
Kiomars Sharafi1 
, Samaneh Nakhaee2 , Borhan Mansouri3 , Bahareh Rahami * 4, Alireza Amirabadizadeh2 , Kamran Tavakol5
, Samaneh Nakhaee2 , Borhan Mansouri3 , Bahareh Rahami * 4, Alireza Amirabadizadeh2 , Kamran Tavakol5
1- Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. Kermanshah, Iran
2- Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
3- Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
4- Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran ,borhanmansouri@gmail.com
5- Emeritus Professor, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, D.C., USA
2- Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
3- Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
4- Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran ,
5- Emeritus Professor, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, D.C., USA
Abstract: (138 Views)
Background: Opium consumption and its adverse effects are believed to be a major public health problem particularly in Iran, Afghanistan and other nations in the Middle East. Exposure to toxic heavy metals has increased in people who are addicted to opium due to its contamination with various toxic heavy metals. This study aimed to investigate the levels of trace elements in the sera of opium users versus nonuser individuals.
Methods: This cross sectional study compared a group of individuals with a history of opium use (n=54) with a group of non-opium users (n=70). We determined the serum levels of select toxic and essential elements, such as lead, mercury, thallium, nickel, chromium, cobalt, and copper, using inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP).
Results: The serum levels of lead, chromium, mercury and copper were significantly higher in opium users compared to non-users. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis were applied for the apportionment and source identification of the metals in the serum samples of the two groups.
Conclusions: The study findings indicated that opium addiction adversely impacted the serum levels of the heavy metals and some essential elements in the addicts. The findings suggest the necessity for the assessment of heavy metals and trace elements in substance abusers. It might also be helpful in drawing strategies toward the prevention and treatment approaches by assessing various toxic elements in biological samples of opium dependents.
Methods: This cross sectional study compared a group of individuals with a history of opium use (n=54) with a group of non-opium users (n=70). We determined the serum levels of select toxic and essential elements, such as lead, mercury, thallium, nickel, chromium, cobalt, and copper, using inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP).
Results: The serum levels of lead, chromium, mercury and copper were significantly higher in opium users compared to non-users. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis were applied for the apportionment and source identification of the metals in the serum samples of the two groups.
Conclusions: The study findings indicated that opium addiction adversely impacted the serum levels of the heavy metals and some essential elements in the addicts. The findings suggest the necessity for the assessment of heavy metals and trace elements in substance abusers. It might also be helpful in drawing strategies toward the prevention and treatment approaches by assessing various toxic elements in biological samples of opium dependents.
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The Iranian Journal of Toxicology
Arak University of Medical Sciences in collaboration with the Iranian Society of Toxicology
Website: http://ijt.arakmu.ac.ir
Email: tox.journal@gmail.com
