Biomonitoring findings for occupational lead exposure in battery and ceramic tile workers using biochemical markers, alkaline comet assay, and micronucleus test coupled with fluorescence in situ hybridisation

Parameters (mean ± SE)	Exposed group (N=50)	Control group (N=48)
Age (years)	38.34±9.71	38.65±1.53
Years of exposure	10.36±8.94	0
B-PB (μg/L)	298.36±162.07	41.58±23.02
ALAD (U/L ercs)	23.32±15.87	56.32±9.92
EP (μmol/L ercs)	3.05±3.43	0.98±0.27
S-B₁₂ (ng/L)	446.25±137.98	473.08±166.99
S-folate (ng/L)	5.83±2.31	7.69±3.70

[i] Significant differences (p<0.05, non-parametric Mann Whitney U test) are in bold typeface. ALAD – delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity; B-Pb – blood lead concentrations; EP – blood erythrocyte protoporphyrin concentrations; ercs – erythrocytes; S-B₁₂ – serum vitamin B₁₂ concentrations; SE – standard error; S-folate – serum folate concentrations

Table 2

General characteristics of lead-exposed workers and controls by gender and smoking

		Exposed group				Control group
Parameters (mean±SE)	Women (N=17)	Men (N=33)	Smokers (N=33)	Non-smokers (N=17)	Women (N=18)	Men (N=30)	Smokers (N=26)	Non-smokers (N=22)
Age (years)	36±2.57	40±1.57	36.55±1.75	41.8242.0	35.17±2.49	40.73±1.87	37.15±2.27	40.41±1.98
Years of exposure	5.05±1.42	13.39±1.60	9.98±1.51	11.07±2.34	0	0	0	0
B-(μPB g/L)	228.13±25.20^c,d	340.33±30.98^e	299.23±27.08^g	296.66±43.42^h	28.2±3.49^b	47.16±5.01	40.49±6.11	43.14±4.22
ALAD (U/L ercs)	28.21±3.48^d	20.92±2.91^e	22.12±2.63^f,g	25.65±4.24^h	55.84±2.81	56.61±2.61	57.85±2.62	53.27±2.15
EP (μmol/L ercs)	2.11±0.44^e	3.59±0.71^e	2.89±0.57^g	3.3540.92^"	0.98±0.08	0.98±0.06	1.03±0.07	0.9±0.06
S-B ₁₂ (μg/L)	410.14±35.82^d	467.55±25.81	445.93±26.69	446.93±33.05	537.33±46.75	434.53±24.52	447.38±30	503.45±38.38
S-folate (ng/L)	6.41±0.66^b,d	5.61±0.42	5.26±0.38^f,g	7.0640.62^"	9.11±0.86	6.84±0.64	7.18±0.56	8.30±0.96

[i] Significant differences (p<0.05, non-parametric Mann Whitney ^U test) are in bold typeface. b – control women vs control men; c – exposed women vs exposed men; d – control women vs exposed women; a – exposed men vs control men; f – exposed smokers vs exposed non-smokers; g – exposed smokers vs control smokers; h – exposed non-smokers vs control non-smokers. ALAD – delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity; B-Pb – blood lead concentrations; EP – blood erythrocyte protoporphyrin concentrations; eras – erythrocytes; S-B₁₂ – serum vitamin B₁₂ concentrations; SE – standard error; S-folate – serum folate concentrations

Table 3

Micronucleus assay and alkaline comet assay endpoints in lead-exposed workers and controls by gender and smoking

Parameters (mean±SE)	Total MNi	NDI	TL	TI	Total NBs	Total NPBs	NPB/MN ratio
Exposed (N=50)	18.71±11.06^a	2.17±0.23^a	16.15±5.33	2.64±3.22	3.65±5.91	2.02±2.47^a	0.12±0.02
Controls (N=48)	8.98±7.50	2.13±0.25	14.27±1.23	1.61±0.74	2.29±2.34	1.14±1.53	0.26±0.08
Control (N=18) W	8.11±1.72	2.22±0.06	13.67±0.21^b	1.34±0.16^b
Control (N=30) M	9.5±1.41	2.07±0.05	14.67±0.25	1.79±0.14
Exposed (N=17) W	20.06±2.09^d	2.16±0.07	16.19±1.28^d	3.04±0.92^d
Exposed (N=33) M	18.4±2.23^e	2.16±0.05^e	16.20±0.99	2.46±0.53
Control N=(26) S	9.27±1.59	2.13±0.05
Control (N=22) NS	8.64±1.47	2.14±0.05
Exposed (N=33) S	17.87±2.07^f,g	2.21±0.04^f,g
Exposed (N=17) NS	20.24±2.49^h	2.09±0.08^h

[i] Significant differences (p<0.05, non-parametric Mann Whitney U test) are in bold typeface. 1000 binuclear cells per subject were analysed. a – controls vs exposed workers; b – control women vs control men; d – control women vs exposed women; e – exposed men vs control men; f – exposed smokers vs exposed non-smokers; g – exposed smokers vs control smokers; h – exposed non-smokers vs control non-smokers. M – men; MNi – micronuclei; NBs – nuclear buds; NDI – nuclear division index; NPBs – nucleoplasmic bridges; NS – non-smokers; S– smokers; SE – standard error; TI– tail intensity; TL – tail length; W – women

Table 4

MN-FISH assay endpoints in lead-exposed and control subgroups

Parameters (mean±SE)	Exposed group N=20	Control group N=16
Age (years)	39.6±2.05	40.31±1.59
Gender	8 women 12 men	5 women 11 men
Smoking	12 smokers 8 non-smokers	10 smokers 6 non-smokers
Time of exposure (years)	11.66±1.91	0
MN_total	22.70±2.27	8.25±0.84
C+ MN_total	8.15±1.80	3.69±0.47
C- MN_total	14.55±1.80	4.56±0.89
NB_total	2.75±0.53	4.18±1.01
C+ NB_total	0.35±0.21	0.75±0.28
C- NB_total	2.40±0.41	3.43±0.74
NPB_total	1.80±0.53	0.38±0.15
C+ NPB_total	0.05±0.05	0
C- NPB_total	1.75±0.54	0.38±0.15

[i] Significant differences (p<0.05, non-parametric Mann Whitney U test) are in bold typeface. 1000 binuclear cells per subject were analysed. C + MN – MN with centromeric signal; C- MN – MN without centromeric signal; C+ NB – NB with centromeric signal; C- NB – NB without centromeric signal; C+ NPB– NPB with centromeric signal; C- NPB – NPB without centromeric signal; MN – micronucleus; NBs – nuclear buds; NPBs – nucleoplasmic bridges; SE – standard error

Table 5

MN-FISH assay endpoints in lead-exposed and control subgroups by gender and smoking status

		Exposed group				Control group
Parameters (mean±SE)	Women (N=8)	Men (N=12)	Smokers (N=12)	Non-smokers (N=8)	Women (N=5)	Men (N=11)	Smokers (N=10)	Non-smokers (N=6)
MN_total	22.38±2.33	22.92±3.53	24.08±3.17	20.14±2.78	6.6±1.4^c	9.00±1.00^d	9.8±1.03^e,f	5.67±0.56^g
C+ MN_total	9.25±2.13^b	7.42±1.38	8.46±1.30	7.57±2.45	2.4±0.4^c	4.27±0.59	4.3±0.62^r	2.67±0.56^g
C- MN_total	13.13±2.00	15.5±2.72	15.62±2.52	12.57±2.17	4.2±1.46^c,d	4.73±1.15	5.5±1.36^f	3.00±0.00^g
NB_total	2.88±0.61^b	2.67±0.81	2.85±0.77	2.57±0.61	2.4±1.12	5.00±1.33	5±1.48	2.83±1.01
C+NB_total	0.13±0.13	0.5±0.34	0.46±0.31	0.14±0.14	0.2±0.2	1±0.38	1±0.42	0.33±0.21
C-NB_total	2.75±0.56	2.17±0.58	2.38±0.57	2.43±0.53	2.2±0.97	4±0.96	4±1.06	2.5±0.85
NPB_total	1.5±0.42	2±0.85	1.69±0.58	2±1.13	0.6±0.4	0.27±0.14	0.5±0.22	0.17±0.17
C+NPB_total	0.13±0.13	0	0.08±0.08	0	0	0	0	0
C-NPB_total	1.38±0.46	2±0.85	1.62±0.59	2±1.13	0.6±0.4	0.27±0.14	0.5±0.22	0.17±0.17

[i] Significant differences (p<0.05, non-parametric Mann Whitney U test) are in bold typeface. 1000 binuclear cells per subject were analysed. b ^– exposed men vs exposed women; c ^– control women vs exposed women; d ^– control men vs exposed men; e – control non-smokers vs control smokers; f – exposed smokers vs control smokers; g – exposed non-smokers vs control non-smokers. C+ MN – MN with centromeric signal; C- MN – MN without centromeric signal; C+ NB – NB with centromeric signal; C- NB – NB without centromeric signal; C+ NPB– NPB with centromeric signal; C- NPB – NPB without centromeric signal; MN – micronucleus; NBs – nuclear buds; NPBs – nucleoplasmic bridges; SE – standard error

References

Authors

Metrics

Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2020-71-3427 | Journal eISSN: 1848-6312 (formerly 0004-1254) | Journal ISSN: 0004-1254

Journal RSS Feed

Language: English, Croatian

Page range: 339 - 352

Submitted on: May 1, 2020

Accepted on: Nov 1, 2020

Published on: Dec 31, 2020

Published by: Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Keywords:

Related subjects:

Basic medical science,

Basic medical science, other

© 2020 Vilena Kašuba, Mirta Milić, Davor Želježić, Marin Mladinić, Alica Pizent, Zorana Kljaković-Gašpić, Melita Balija, Irena Jukić, published by Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Volume 71 (2020): Issue 4 (December 2020)