Thyroid dysfunction: how concentration of toxic and essential elements contribute to risk of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and thyroid cancer

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 26; no. 35; pp. 35787 - 35796
• Main Authors: Rezaei, Maryam, Javadmoosavi, Seyed Yoosef, Mansouri, Borhan, Azadi, Nammam Ali, Mehrpour, Omid, Nakhaee, Samaneh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.12.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Cadmium; Cancer; Chromium; Cobalt; Copper; Correlation; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Humans; Hyperthyroidism; Hyperthyroidism - diagnosis; Hyperthyroidism - physiopathology; Hypothyroidism; Hypothyroidism - diagnosis; Hypothyroidism - physiopathology; Iran; Iron; Lead; Mercury; Mercury (metal); Mercury - analysis; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Metals, Heavy - toxicity; Nickel; Regression analysis; Research Article; Serum levels; Thyroid; Thyroid cancer; Thyroid diseases; Thyroid Diseases - diagnosis; Thyroid Neoplasms - complications; Toxicity; Trace Elements - analysis; Trace metals; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Zinc; Iran; Cadmium; Thyroid diseases; Lead; Chromium; Copper; Cobalt; Zinc
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06632-7

This study was conducted to evaluate the levels of trace metals Fe, Cr, Co, Cd, Cu, Ni, Hg, Zn, and Pb in healthy individuals and patients with thyroid disease (hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and cancerous). The serum levels of 110 participants living in Birjand City, east of Iran, were collected and analyzed using ICP-MS (Agilent 7900). Results showed that the concentration levels of Cr, Co, Zn, Cd, and Pb were significantly higher at case-patients ( p < 0.05), but the levels of Fe, Ni, and Hg were similar between healthy and patient subjects ( p > 0.05). In patients with high or low thyroid activity, strong mutual correlations between Cr, Ni, and Fe were noticeable ( p < 0.05). In hypothyroid patients, no significant correlation between Zn and Hg, Co, and Cd was found, but Zn was moderately and positively correlated with other trace metals. The moderate negative correlations between Cd-Cr ( p = − 0.46) and Cd-Fe ( p = − 0.43) were also observed. Logistic regression analysis showed that the effect of Cr, Co, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cd was significant in developing hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism; whereas, in patients with thyroid cancer, the effect of Cr, Cd, and Pb was found to be significant. In conclusion, our findings suggest that toxic metals such as Pb, Cd, and Cr can increase the risk of developing hypothyroidism and thyroid cancer, but more research is needed to evaluate the potential toxicity mechanisms of Pb, Cd, and Cr.