Redox balance plays the key role in maintaining health. Optimizing glutathione levels has been proposed as a strategy for health promotion and disease prevention, although cause-effect relationships between glutathione status and disease risk or treatment have not been fully clarified. This study aims to estimate glutathione as a non-specific prognostic risk factor of health disorders in people exposed to industrial aerosols at their workplaces. Our observation covered the following occupational groups: workers employed at a metallurgic plant who contacted industrial aerosols (welding and silicon-containing aerosols with predominantly fibrogenic effects); patients with non-obstructive chronic industrial bronchitis (NCIB) without exacerbation; patients suffering from occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (oCOPD) who were in a post-exposure period; workers who were not exposed to industrial aerosols at their workplaces. Total glutathione (TG), reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were identified in whole blood by the Ellman method. Elevated GSSG levels (higher than 100 µmol/l) and low values of the GSH/GSSG ratio (less than 10 units) were identified in more than 50 % of the workers exposed to industrial aerosols. These markers were established to have diagnostic sensitivity of more than 50 %, diagnostic specificity of more than 85 % and prognostic significance of more than 80 % for the examined groups. The GSSG level and GSH/GSSG ratio can be used as a prognostic indicator of health disorders in workers exposed to industrial aerosols and a possibility of chronic bronchopulmonary pathology developing in future.

Our research goal was to estimate neopterin level in blood serum of workers occupationally exposed to industrial aerosols with predominantly fibrogenic effects; to establish a relationship between this level and workers’ age, working experience in hazardous working conditions, spirometric parameters and the level of C-reactive protein. We also aimed to assess neopterin as a possible biomarker showing risks of the developing inflammatory process in the bronchi and lungs at its early stage. Our observation covered the following groups: workers employed at a metallurgic plant who had occupational contacts with industrial aerosols (exposure factors included welding and silicon-containing aerosols with predominantly fibrogenic effects in concentrations exceeding maximum permissible ones in workplace air); people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease of occupational etiology (COPD OE) in their post-exposure period; workers who didn’t have any occupational contacts with industrial aerosols. We determined neopterin contents in blood serum with ELISA test using “Neopterin ELISA” reagent kit (IBL, Hamburg). Elevated neopterin levels were detected in blood serum of 56.1 % workers who were occupationally exposed to industrial aerosols and 53.3 % of patients with COPD OE; we also found a direct correlation between levels of neopterin and interferon gamma. Only 18.7 % workers without any occupational contacts with industrial aerosols had elevated neopterin levels in their blood serum and there were no authentic correlations between these levels and interferon gamma contents in this group. Workers who were occupationally exposed to industrial aerosols had a more apparent increase in the average level of neopterin at an age younger than 40 years and working experience shorter than 20 years in comparison with workers without any such exposure. Neopterin can be used as a potential sensitive biomarker showing risks of an early inflammatory reaction in the lungs occurring in workers who are occupationally exposed to industrial aerosols. People with elevated neopterin levels in blood, especially those who are occupationally exposed to industrial aerosols, can be recommended to have their bronchi and lungs monitored in dynamics.

Our research goal was to estimate neopterin level in blood serum of workers occupationally exposed to industrial aerosols with predominantly fibrogenic effects; to establish a relationship between this level and workers’ age, working experience in hazardous working conditions, spirometric parameters and the level of C-reactive protein. We also aimed to assess neopterin as a possible biomarker showing risks of the developing inflammatory process in the bronchi and lungs at its early stage. Our observation covered the following groups: workers employed at a metallurgic plant who had occupational contacts with industrial aerosols (exposure factors included welding and silicon-containing aerosols with predominantly fibrogenic effects in concentrations exceeding maximum permissible ones in workplace air); people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease of occupational etiology (COPD OE) in their post-exposure period; workers who didn’t have any occupational contacts with industrial aerosols. We determined neopterin contents in blood serum with ELISA test using “Neopterin ELISA” reagent kit (IBL, Hamburg). Elevated neopterin levels were detected in blood serum of 56.1 % workers who were occupationally exposed to industrial aerosols and 53.3 % of patients with COPD OE; we also found a direct correlation between levels of neopterin and interferon gamma. Only 18.7 % workers without any occupational contacts with industrial aerosols had elevated neopterin levels in their blood serum and there were no authentic correlations between these levels and interferon gamma contents in this group. Workers who were occupationally exposed to industrial aerosols had a more apparent increase in the average level of neopterin at an age younger than 40 years and working experience shorter than 20 years in comparison with workers without any such exposure. Neopterin can be used as a potential sensitive biomarker showing risks of an early inflammatory reaction in the lungs occurring in workers who are occupationally exposed to industrial aerosols. People with elevated neopterin levels in blood, especially those who are occupationally exposed to industrial aerosols, can be recommended to have their bronchi and lungs monitored in dynamics.

Our research goal was to reveal peculiarities related to changes in endothelin-1 contents in blood serum in young and middle-aged people exposed to occupational noise and industrial welding and silicon-containing aerosols with fibrogenic effects. Another goal was to establish a correlation between endothelin-1 contents and blood pressure, body mass, and dyslipidemia. We examined workers employed at a metallurgic plant in Nizhniy Novgorod region. Endothelin-1 concentration in blood serum was determined with «Endothelin (1-21)», a reagent kit for ELISA produced by «Biomedica Medizinprodukte GmbH & Co KG» (Austria). We detected certain group differences in endothelin-1 contents in blood serum and frequency of its elevated concentrations between workers who had to work under different working conditions. We established a direct correlation between endothelin-1 and blood pressure, total cholesterol, and body mass index. Elevated endothelin-1 contents in people suffering from arterial hypertension can indicate a higher risk of complications this disease might have. People who have elevated endothelin-1 contents but normal blood pressure, total cholesterol within physiological standard and normal body mass index can be recommended to have regular medical check-ups focusing on functional state of their cardiovascular system; endothelin-1 in this case should be considered a risk factor that might cause cardiovascular pathology occurrence. An individual approach is required when assessing elevated endothelin-1 contents and probable use of this parameter as a risk factor that might cause cardiovascular pathology in young and middle-aged people employed under hazardous working conditions.

Система свободнорадикального окисления и антиоксидантной защиты изучается уже десятки лет. Однако до сих пор не установлены причинно-следственные отношения между окислительным стрессом, возрастом, условиями труда и риском развития функциональных и органических нарушений в организме человека. Выявлены особенности возрастной динамики интегральных показателей окислительного стресса и общей антиоксидантной способности сыворотки крови, оценены их изменения в зависимости от влияния вредных производственных факторов на организм работающего. Под наблюдением находились 244 человека в возрасте от 18 до 65 лет, деятельность которых была сопряжена с физическими нагрузками и контактом с вредными химическими веществами. Данные лица проходили диспансерное наблюдение в консультативной поликлинике Нижегородского научно-исследовательского института гигиены и профпатологии Роспотребнадзора. На первом этапе исследования проводился массовый скрининг на показатели окислительного стресса и общей антиоксидантной способности сыворотки крови всех обследуемых. На втором этапе анализ уровней окислительного стресса и общей антиоксидантной способности сыворотки крови проводился с учетом возраста обследуемых и воздействия вредных производственных факторов (n = 174). Интегральные показатели окислительного стресса и общей антиоксидантной способности сыворотки крови определяли колориметрическим биохимическим микропланшетным методом. Установлено, что с возрастом происходило увеличение окислительного стресса и снижение антиоксидантной защиты. Показано, что в одной возрастной группе воздействие вредных химических факторов на окислительный стресс и антиоксидантную способность сыворотки крови более выражено, чем воздействие физических нагрузок. Установлены параметры интегральных показателей окислительного стресса и антиоксидантной способности сыворотки крови у лиц разного возраста, пределы их возрастного изменения. Данные показатели могут служить информативными тестами для мониторинга состояния здоровья, оценки тяжести течения заболевания, его прогноза, эффективности лечения и проведения профилактических мероприятий. Ключевые слова: окислительный стресс, общая антиоксидантная способность сыворотки крови, возраст, физические перегрузки, химические факторы.