Occupational Hydrocarbon Exposure and Renal Histopathology

Abstract

A blinded, retrospective study of histological sections from ten hydrocarbon-exposed and twenty unexposed nephrectomized renal cell carcinoma cases was conducted to evaluate the histopathologic features present in the apparently normal kidney parenchyma removed with the tumor. Tissue sections from each of the thirty cases were independently reviewed by three consulting pathologists and scored using well defined criteria. Occupational hydrocarbon exposure indices were developed by a team of industrial hygienists and applied to the detailed occupational history of each exposed case. A positive correlation was observed between age and the total renal pathology score (rs = .40, p less than .03). No correlation was found between indices of occupational hydrocarbon exposure and renal pathology scores among exposed cases. No significant differences in renal pathology scores were noted when exposed cases were matched to unexposed cases by age, sex, and race. These results are limited by the inclusion of only cases with historical hydrocarbon exposures. It is recommended that a follow-up study be conducted, utilizing sensitive quantitative methods, to define what, if any, cytopathologic renal effects occur in conjunction with current occupational exposures to hydrocarbons.

NCI-Black-Reiter (NBR) Male Rats Fail to Develop Renal Disease following Exposure to Agents That Induce α-2u-Globulin (α2u) Nephropathy

“…Supporting this hypothesis, treatment of either sex of mice, hamster, guinea pigs, dogs, or nonhuman primates with compounds inducing o12,-nephropathy has not elicited pathological responses in the kidneys of these animals and did not result in renal disease (Swenberg et al, 1989). Furthermore, epidemiological studies of humans with prolonged exposure to petroleum-derived hydrocarbons, known to induce nephropathy in male rats (reviewed by Alden, 1986), do not show an increase in morbidity or mortality due to renal pathology (Pitha et al, 1987).…”

“…However, as shown in this and in earlier studies, male NBR rats, female rats, and guinea pigs do not accumulate protein in the renal cortex following treatment with a2,-nephropathy-inducing agents and thus are refractory to this disease (MacEwen and Vernot, 1978;Gaworski et al, 1980Gaworski et al, , 1981Alden, 1986;Swenberg et al, 1989;Ridder et al, 1990). In addition, epidemiological studies of humans with prolonged exposure to petroleum-derived hydrocarbons, known to induce nephropathy in male rats (reviewed by Alden, 1986) do not show an increase in morbidity or mortality due to renal pathology (Pitha et al, 1987).…”