23 INTRODUCTION Cataract is a major cause of avoidable blindness and visual impairment throughout the world. At least 5 to 10 million new visually disabling cataracts occur yearly around the world. The challenges are to Current Eye Research, 35(1), 23–30, 2010 Copyright © 2010 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc. ISSN: 0271-3683 print/ 1460-2202 online DOI: 10.3109/02713680903362880 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Lens Cadmium, Lead, and Serum Vitamins C, E, and Beta Carotene in Cataractous Smoking Patients Soad M. Mosad 1 , Assad A. Ghanem 2 , Hossam M. El-Fallal 2 , Amr M. El-Kannishy 2 , Azza A. El Baiomy 3 , Amany M. Al–Diasty 3 , and Lamiaa F. Arafa 4 1 Departments of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt 2 Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt 3 Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt 4 Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt ABSTRACT Purpose: To investigate the association between smoking and subcapsular cataract and blood levels of cadmium and lead, and serum levels of vitamins C, E, and beta carotene in the middle-age male population. Subjects and Methods: The present study comprised 60 cataractous male patients aged 44–55 years who attended Mansoura University Ophthalmic Center. They were divided into two groups: the irst group was comprised of 15 patients who had never smoked before with minimal exposure to cigarette smoking (control group), while the second group was comprised of 45 age and body mass index-matched smokers. Blood cadmium and lead concentrations were measured and their levels in the cataractous lenses were also estimated. The levels of some antioxidants, such as serum vitamins C, E, and beta carotene, were determined. Results: Cadmium had a statistically signiicant higher concentration in blood and lenses of smok- ers compared with that of non smokers (p < 0.0001). There was a signiicantly high accumulation of cadmium in the lenses of cataractous smokers reaching about a four-fold increase in heavy smok- ers (15.4 ± 0.4 µmol/g) and nearly a three-fold increase in light smokers (10.1 ± 0.4 µmol/g) when compared to that of nonsmokers (3.7 ± 0.9 µmol/g). Regarding vitamins E, C, and beta carotene, a highly signiicant reduction was observed in smokers when compared with nonsmokers. There was a highly positive correlation between blood cadmium concentrations and lens cadmium levels, and blood lead concentrations and lens lead levels in heavy smokers. Conclusion: Cadmium present in high concentrations among smokers was associated with the pres- ence of cataracts, through induction of oxidative stress as evidenced by reduction of levels of some antioxidant studied in this work, such as vitamins E, C, and beta carotene. Thus, education of health care professionals and the public about the cataractogenic effect of cadmium is mandatory. Intake of various antioxidants may be helpful in reducing the risk of cataract formation. KEYWORDS: Cadmium; Cataract; Lead; Serum vitamins; Smoking Received 31 May 2009; accepted 23 September 2009 Correspondence: Asaad A. Ghanem, M.D., Ophthalmology Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 13356, Egypt. E-mail: asaadghanem@hotmail.com Curr Eye Res Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by Mrs Margaret Searle For personal use only.