Kidney and liver biomarkers in female dry-cleaning workers exposed to perchloroethylene

Abstract

Blood and urine perchloroethylene and urine trichloroacetic acid, as markers of exposure, and serum AST, ALT, GGT and creatinine, urine total solutes and proteins, angiotensin converting enzyme, N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase and glutamine synthetase, as markers of effect, were measured in 40 dry-cleaning and 45 ironing-shop female workers. Average perchloroethylene air level in the dry-cleaning shops was 59.7 mg m(-3), i.e. three-fold lower than the current A.C.G.I.H. TLV-TWA (170 mg (m-3)). No statistically significant difference in the mean values of any of the effect markers was observed between the two groups, except for AST which was significantly higher in drycleaners. In addition, a statistically significant correlation was observed in dry-cleaners between environmental perchloroethylene and total urinary solutes (r = 0.308, p < 0.05) or urine glutamine synthetase (r= 0.469, p < 0 .01), between glutamine synthetase and blood perchloroethylene in post-shift (r= 0.406, p < 0.01) or urinary perchloroethylene in post(r= 0.571, p < 0.001) or pre-shift (r= 0.586, p < 0.001), and between urinary perchloroethylene in pre-shift and GGT (r= 0.407, p < 0.05). Interestingly, some statistically significant correlations between exposure and effect indices were found in ironing-shop workers alone, as in all subjects. Finally, transaminases, GGT and total urinary proteins were influenced by age and alcohol consumption which were significantly higher in dry-cleaners, thus providing an explanation for some of the correlations observed. In conclusion, our results show a dose-related increase of glutamine synthetase activity,a marker of damage of the pars recta of the kidney proximal tubule, in the urine of female subjects exposed to perchloroethylene concentrations in the work environment lower than current A.C.G.I.H. TLV-TWA.

Evaluation of Occupational Exposure to Perchlorethylene in a Group of Italian Dry Cleaners Using Noninvasive Exposure Indices

“…On the other hand, shops were selected by an expert group to be representative of other dry-cleaning facilities in the Modena territory. Furthermore, the results are coherent with other similar studies [7,14,17,34]. These points support the representativeness of our sample.…”

“…PCE exposure has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as “probably carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2A) [3]; positive associations have been observed for bladder cancer and also for other cancer sites such as the esophagus, kidney, cervix, and in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, even if overall results were considered inconsistent [3]. Other long-term, adverse effects, mainly to the liver, kidney, and nervous system functions and, possibly, immune function, have also been reported in workers exposed to PCE [1,3,4,16,17]. According to some previously published data, the main target at low exposure levels can be considered the nervous system: a dose-related effect on color perception was observed in dry cleaning operators, also in exposure to PCE concentrations, largely below the limit proposed by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) [6,18,19,20].…”

Tetrachlorethen [MAK Value Documentation in German language, 2017]

“…Die mittlere RBP-Konzentration der Exponierten lag im Normbereich (US EPA 2012). In einer weiteren Studie waren bei mittlerer Exposition gegen 8,7 ml/m 3 mehrere positive Korrelationen zwischen der Tetrachlorethen-Konzentration im Urin und den Effektmarkern, jedoch keine signifikanten Unterschiede der Mittelwerte aufgetreten (Trevisan et al 2000).…”