Sulfur Mustard-induced Changes in Blood Urea Nitrogen, Uric Acid and Creatinine Levels of Civilian Victims, and Their Correlation with Spirometric Values

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was assessment of the chronic effects of sulfur mustard (SM) among victims. METHODS: In this cohort study, 355 SM-exposed subjects from Sardasht, and 123 controls from Rabat, both from West Azerbaijan Province, Iran were included. The spirometric evaluation and the global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease (GOLD) classification were applied for all. Serum levels of urea, creatinine (Cr), and uric acid (UA) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were assessed. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS. RESULTS: All were male, with a mean age of 43.7±10.7 and 41.6±9.9 years in case and control groups, respectively. The case group had significantly higher values of Cr (P<0.001) and UA (P=0.018) than the control group. This was also the case in the Cr level (P<0.001) in subjects without pulmonary dysfunction, between both groups. There was significant difference in the GFR (P=0.047) between both groups and between subgroups with pulmonary dysfunction in the case and control groups (P=0.045), as well as between SM-exposed subjects with and without pulmonary dysfunction (P=0.009). Serum Cr, UA, sUA/Cr ratio, and BUN as well as the GFR did not have any significant correlation with forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC ratio. CONCLUSION: Despite significantly high levels of Cr and UA in the case group, no significant correlation was found between serum Cr, UA, sUA/Cr ratio, BUN, and GFR with spirometric values. Further studies are required to reveal the underlying molecular and clinical significance of these findings.