CHAPTER 6. Long-Term Effects of the Chemical Warfare Agent Sulfur Mustard

2016 ◽  
pp. 179-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Kehe ◽  
Dirk Steinritz ◽  
Frank Balszuweit ◽  
Horst Thiermann
Keyword(s):  
Sulfur Mustard ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agent ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Long Term Effects

Impact of melatonin effects on toxicology of vesicant chemical warfare agents: When science meets reality

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-119
Author(s):  
Alejandro Romero ◽  
Emilio Gil Martín ◽  
Cristobal De los Rios ◽  
Javier Egea ◽  
Eva Ramos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
World War I ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Sulfur Mustard ◽  
Radical Scavenging ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agent ◽  
Acute Poisoning ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Long Term Effects

In this review we focused our attention on sulfur mustard [bis(2-chloroethyl) sulphide], the main vesicant chemical warfare agent (CWA), which has been widely used in different military conflicts, including World War I and the Iran-Iraq war. Moreover, the evolution of the recent Iraq and Syria conflicts suggests that terrorist groups are aware of the significant psychological and media effects that would be produced by the mere attempt to use CWAs. Sulfur mustard can produce the alkylation of macromolecules bearing sulfhydryl groups, such as DNA and proteins. This vesicant can also generate free radicals which can develop toxicity in the areas exposed, such as the eyes, skin, respiratory tract (inhalation) and gastrointestinal tract (ingestion). In this respect, we advance and propose three salvage mechanisms through which a broad-spectrum multipotent molecule, melatonin, could facilitate neutralization of the toxic damage induced by sulfur mustard radical scavenging. We also speculate that the long-term effects of varying severity can appear after acute poisoning. Besides, melatonin-based therapy strategies can modulate of epigenetic mechanisms and become very suitable for the clinical treatment of victimized patients. However, the utilization of melatonin as a “therapeutic bullet” addressed to counteract the vesicant CWAs needs much additional in vitro research as well as systematic animal studies and controlled translational trials.

scholarly journals Gendered lived experiences of marriage and family following exposure to chemical warfare agents: content analysis of qualitative interviews with survivors in Halabja, Kurdistan-Iraq

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. e034277
Author(s):  
Faraidoun Moradi ◽  
Fazil Moradi ◽  
Mia Söderberg ◽  
Anna-Carin Olin ◽  
Mona Lärstad
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Sulfur Mustard ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agent ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Lung Damage ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Marriage And Family

ObjectiveTo study gendered experiences of the long-term effects of a chemical warfare agent (CWA; sulfur mustard).DesignQualitative face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interview study using content analysis approach with thematic analysis and anthropological inquiries.SettingThe city of Halabja in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.ParticipantsSurvivors of CWA (n=16, female:male 10:6, mean age 45.5 years (range 34 to 67)) with lung damage diagnosis and with a range of sociodemographic variables.ResultsLatent content was expressed as: To get or not to get married? Two categories—social abandonment and uncertain marriage—emerged as expressions of the manifest content. The majority of the participants showed uncertainty as a central concern that affects all decision-making in their private and social life. Uncertainty over marriage and family were huge, corresponding to their fear of giving birth to children with congenital birth defects. Exposure to CWAs was conceptualised in terms of stigmatised illnesses, and consequently resulted in loneliness and social isolation, leading to negative impacts on other aspects of professional and social life. The results demonstrated a gendered pattern: CWA-exposed women were more affected psychosocially than CWA-exposed men. More CWA-exposed women were unemployed, divorced or single, or lived under vulnerable circumstances compared with men.ConclusionSurvivors of CWA exposure have developed a sense of gendered uncertainty around getting married and building a family. Sulfur mustard-exposed women, in particular, long to be desired in the community as they face social exclusion. Survivors should be provided evidence-based consultancy to optimise their decision-making around marriage and other social and family challenges.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the pharmacoeconomics of drugs used for the treatment of long-term complications of sulfur mustard

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunes Panahi ◽  
Mostafa Ghanei ◽  
Milad Vakili Zarch ◽  
Zohreh Poursaleh ◽  
Shahram Parvin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Inhaled Corticosteroids ◽  
Sulfur Mustard ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agent ◽  
Pulmonary Complications ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Chemical Injuries ◽  
Long Acting

Sulfur mustard (SM), a cytotoxic vesicant chemical warfare agent, has powerful irritant and blistering effects on the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. Since during the Iraq-Iran war, many Iranian soldiers and civilians were exposed to SM, there are several victims still suffering from long-term cutaneous, ocular and pulmonary complications. Currently, there is no definite treatment for long-term complications of SM, and only supportive medical care is being taken to minimize the symptoms. In this study, we compared the cost-effectiveness of common drugs that are used against long-term SM-induced complications in Iranian patients. In this review article, electronic databases were checked using the following key words: sulfur mustard, lung, skin, eye, cost-effectiveness, pharmacoeconomics and treatment. Abstracts of non-English papers and proceedings of congresses on SM were also assessed. Among the studied drugs, high-dose oral N-acetyl cysteine and long-acting inhaled corticosteroids against respiratory complications, topical corticosteroids and oral antihistamines against cutaneous complications and NSAIDS and corticosteroids ophthalmic drops against ocular complications were found to be cost-effective. Usage of different drugs in the treatment of SM injuries in Iran, have imposed a significant economic burden to patients and their families because many drugs that are effective against chemical injuries are not covered by insurance. In addition, development of more effective drugs in this field is considered as an urgent demand that should be noticed by the pharmaceutical industry.

scholarly journals Dynamic cytotoxic profiles of sulfur mustard in human dermal cells determined by multiparametric high-content analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 583-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Long Long ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Fei-Fei Li ◽  
Hua Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Sulfur Mustard ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agent ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Major Threat ◽  
High Content Analysis ◽  
Dermal Cells

Sulfur mustard (SM) is a well known chemical warfare agent that poses a major threat to military personnel and also populace.

Selective and sensitive chromogenic and fluorogenic detection of sulfur mustard in organic, aqueous and gaseous medium

RSC Advances ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (112) ◽  
pp. 91946-91950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinod Kumar ◽  
Hemlata Rana
Keyword(s):  
Gaseous Medium ◽  
Sulfur Mustard ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agent ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Sensitive Detection ◽  
Squaraine Dye

A chromogenic and fluorogenic system based on a squaraine dye (SQ) was used for the highly selective and sensitive detection of the chemical warfare agent sulfur mustard.

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