Levels of some trace metals and related enzymes in workers at storage-battery factories in Iraq

Levels of some trace metals [copper, iron, lead and zinc], aminolevulinate dehydratase [ALAD], caeruloplasmin and haemoglobin were measured in the blood of 37 male workers from private-sector storage-battery factories. The men were divided into three groups depending on their jobs: 11 chargers [group I], 8 repair workers [group II] and 18 casting workers [group III]; 60 men were selected as controls. Mean levels were 14.63, 36.35, 58.00 and 71.70 mg/100 mL for lead, 192.54, 133.90, 96.75 and 45.37 U/mL for ALAD, and 14.02, 12.72, 12.20 and 11.40 g/100 mL for haemoglobin for control and groups I, II and III respectively. Significant negative correlations were found between lead and both ALAD and haemoglobin. The only significant positive correlation was between lead levels and duration of exposure

Percentage of HbS among cases of sickle-cell trait in Basra, Iraq

The proportion of sickle haemoglobin [HbS] was determined in 170 sickle-cell-trait individuals; 75 [44.1%] individuals had HbS% > 38%, 54 [31.8%] had HbS% between 31% and 38% and 41 [24.1%] had HbS% < 31%. There was positive correlation between HbS% and haemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume and target cell percentage. Multiple regression analysis indicated that measurement of haemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and target cell percentage could be used to predict the HbS%