[Characteristics of cardiac and nervous system impairment in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus from regions with various levels of environmental pollution].
To characterize clinical features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in persons living under various environmental pollution.
Three groups of SLE patients living in the Orenburg region were examined: those exposed to intensive production pollution (n = 35 patients), exposed to mild pollution (n = 15), unexposed to production pollution (n = 25 patients). The pollution intensity was assessed by total aerogenic, water and soil pollution rates.
The hair from 69 patients contained 24 chemical elements. More severe clinical symptoms of SLE were registered in patients living in conditions of intensive production pollution. These symptoms' severity directly correlated with the level of heavy metals in the hair of SLE patients and inversely correlated with hair levels of essential chemical elements.
Chemical pollutants directly impair organs and tissues of SLE patients and indirectly do this via damaged immune system.