Trends in speciation analysis of some heavy metals in serum of patients with chronic hepatitis C and chronic hepatitis B using differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetric measurement and atomic absorption spectrophotometry

The relationships between chronic liver diseases and trace heavy metal contents in blood are debatable and have not been understood clearly. The present study is undertaken to determine Co, Fe, and Ni concentrations in sera from viral hepatitis patients. In all eighty patients with chronic hepatitis (B, C) and 29 healthy individuals were chosen for this study. Donors were selected from different environmental areas, including Aswan, Kom Ombo, and Edfu as polluted areas, and Daraw as an unpolluted area. Co, Fe, and Ni concentrations in patient and healthy blood serum were measured by two different analytical techniques: differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry (DPAdSV) and atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The results reveal that Fe is present in higher level in the blood serum of hepatitis patients than in the healthy control, whereas Co and Ni showed the opposite trend. Hepatitis patients from Edfu area exhibited higher Fe level in their serum than those from the other areas, while hepatitis patients and healthy control from Daraw area (free from pollution) exhibited the lowest metal values. Patients with hepatitis C show lower levels of Co, Ni, and Fe in their serum than those with hepatitis B. A comparative study was carried out between the results using DPAdSV and AAS techniques, which are in very good agreements.