Heavy metals as indirect causative factors of capillaropathy

Abstract

By applying systemic analysis to a set of random variables, representing blood or urine concentrations of certain enzymes, lipids and metals, three direct causative factors of capillaropathy, in its early stage, i.e. leucine amino peptidase, free erythrocyte protoporphyrin and C₃-complement, have been found. The interactions between the early stage of capillaropathy and these factors have been quantitatively described and a formula for prognosing the capillaropathy occurrence has been proposed. It has also been shown that the following heavy metals Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mg, Fe and Ca, through their direct or indirect interactions with C₃-complement, exert an influence on the occurrence and intensity of capillaropathy. Since direct causative factors of a given pathology can serve as its markers, the completeness of the set of the capillaropathy markers, formed from the causative factors, and their contributions to this pathology have been evaluated. The results were obtained by examining a population of male residents chronically exposed to heavy metals (Pb, Cu) in the environment.