Serum heavy metal levels from tobacco smoke and Buerger's disease.

Tobacco smoke is toxic, genotoxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic, and tobacco use is the most significant risk factor for the development of Buerger's disease. Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO), also known as Buerger's disease, is a rare, inflammatory, occlusive peripheral vascular condition of unknown etiology that typically affects small- and medium-sized arteries and veins. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of selected heavy metals, namely As, Cd, Pb, and Tl, in individuals diagnosed with Buerger's disease and to compare them with levels found in healthy individuals, both nicotine-dependent and non-dependent. The study was conducted on 30 volunteers divided into three groups: 10 patients diagnosed with Buerger's disease based on the Shionoya criteria (9 males and 1 female), 10 healthy smokers (9 males and 1 female), and 10 healthy non-smokers (8 males and 2 females). Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in the mean concentrations of Pb and Cd across the groups. Multiple comparison tests indicated that patients with Buerger's disease had significant higher mean levels of Pb (24.73 µg/dL) and Cd (5.88 µg/dL) compared to both control groups. A significant difference was also observed in As levels, which were notably elevated in the group of patients with Buerger's disease. These findings suggest a potential association between heavy metal exposure and the pathogenesis of Buerger's disease, warranting further investigation.