The Effect of Chemical Weapon Exposureon Semen Fluid Analysis and the Determination of SOD and MDA Levels in Peshmerga against ISIS War

Abstract

The identification of chemical weapons as “weapons of mass destruction” highlights their possible damagingconsequences on many civilians’ health.The effect of chemical weapon agents has been documented tocause reproductive toxicity and have adverse effects on semen, leading to infertility in those exposed tothose chemical agents. This study analysesthe semen fluid and follows up the exposed Peshmerga forcesto the chemical weapon during the ISIS war.A prospective cohort study in which 58 exposed Peshmergain three chemical attacks, compared with the same number of the non-exposed Peshmerga. Semen fluidanalysis was performed for all, following up after one year.The serum level of both MDA and SOD wasmeasured. An individual’s BMI was calculated.The participants’ mean agein this study is (32.5) years in thecase group while (35.5) years in the control group, with a standard deviation of5 years in both groups. Allparticipants are male, and no gender effect be seen. All chronicillnesses have been excluded from the study.The mean body mass index is 22.4, with a standard deviation of about 3.1 kg/m. Hypospermia developed in18% of the exposed group(20% of the total participants), oligospermia (20% overall, only 3% of these in thenon-exposed), and decreased motility in 19% of all participants, but 16 of this 19% where the exposed groupwith significant relative risk results, while morphology not changed inboth groups, also the findings showedthat significant elevation in MDA level and SOD activity. Chemical weapons cansignificantly affect semenfluid analysis and interpretation through quantitativedisturbances in the volume and account of sperm, whilethe percentage of abnormal spermcounts has been increased considerably in peoples exposed to chemicalweapons. However, the morphology of semen fluid sperms has not changed to the same degree, and itsfunctioncannot be estimated. Even when functioning, the genetic errors on future generationsmay needfurther testing.