Renal and neurologic effects of cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic in children: evidence of early effects and multiple interactions at environmental exposure levels.

Lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic are common environmental pollutants in industrialized countries, but their combined impact on children's health is little known. We studied their effects on two main targets, the renal and dopaminergic systems, in > 800 children during a cross-sectional European survey. Control and exposed children were recruited from those living around historical nonferrous smelters in France, the Czech Republic, and Poland.

Clinical evaluation of a lead mobilization test using the chelating agent dimercaptosuccinic acid.

Background: The lead mobilization test reflects the mobilizable and likely toxicologically active fraction of the lead body burden. We propose a safe and convenient protocol for this test, to assess concomitant copper and zinc excretion and to determine the size of the chelatable lead pool in nonoccupationally exposed adults.

Methods: The study population included 80 white adults: 40 controls [median blood lead concentration (PbB), 25 microg/L] and 40 lead-exposed individuals (315 microg/L).

Comparison of atomic absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic methods for the routine determination of urinary arsenic.

Objective: Interpretation of urinary arsenic measurements is sometimes difficult because of the absorption of seafood that contains trimethylated arsenic forms (arsenobetaine and arsenocholine). The objective of this study was to develop a rapid and robust technique for the measurement of the sum of inorganic arsenic metabolites.

Methods: Measurement of arsenic was performed in urine after hydride generation in acid medium.

Are genetic polymorphisms in OGG1, XRCC1 and XRCC3 genes predictive for the DNA strand break repair phenotype and genotoxicity in workers exposed to low dose ionising radiations?

Identification of higher risk individuals carrying genetic polymorphisms responsible for reduced DNA repair capacity has substantial preventive implications as these individuals could be targeted for cancer prevention. We have conducted a study to assess the predictivity of the OGG1, XRCC1 and XRCC3 genotypes and the in vitro single strand break repair phenotype for the induction of genotoxic effects. At the population level, a significant contribution of the OGG1 genotypes to the in vitro DNA strand break repair capacity was found.

Lung function changes in workers exposed to cobalt compounds: a 13-year follow-up.

The objective of the study was to examine the influence of cobalt exposure on lung function changes in workers from a cobalt-producing plant in a health monitoring program implemented between 1988 and 2001. A total of 122 male workers with at least 4 (median = 6) lung function tests (FEV(1) and FVC) during the follow-up period were assessed longitudinally. Cobalt exposure significantly decreased over the follow-up period, as reflected by the measurements in air and urine.

Biomarkers of renal effects in children and adults with low environmental exposure to heavy metals.

The health effects of chronic exposure to heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury are widely documented, yet few data exist about the renal impact of low environmental exposure to these metals, particularly in children. The aim of this study was to assess renal parameters in children and adults living in an environment known for its past heavy metal contamination around two nonferrous smelters in northern France (Noyelles-Godault and Auby) and to compare their results with age and gender-matched controls living in neighboring municipalities with unpolluted soil (total: 400 children, 600 adults, sex ratio = 1). The integrity of renal function was assessed by measuring the urinary excretion levels of total protein, albumin, transferrin, beta(2)-microglobulin, retinol-binding protein, brush border antigen, and the enzyme N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG).

Urinary protein excretion in humans exposed to arsenic and cadmium.

Objective: In mice, the renal toxicity of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) has been shown to be exacerbated by the simultaneous administration of both elements. To verify the existence of such an interaction in humans, cohorts slightly (Belgian) and moderately (Chinese) exposed to both elements were examined.

Methods: Biological indicators of exposure (Cd in urine and in blood; As in urine) and renal effect parameters (retinol binding protein (RBP); beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)M); albumin (ALB); N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) in urine) were determined and their relationships studied by multiple regression analyses.

Acute arsenic poisoning treated by intravenous dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and combined extrarenal epuration techniques.

Arsenic poisoning was diagnosed in a 26-year-old man who had been criminally intoxicated over the last two weeks preceding admission by the surreptitious oral administration of probably 10 g of arsenic trioxide (As2O3). The patient developed severe manifestations of toxic hepatitis and pancreatitis, and thereafter neurological disorders, respiratory distress, acute renal failure, and cardiovascular disturbances. In addition to supportive therapy, extrarenal elimination techniques and chelating agents were used.

Interest of genotyping and phenotyping of drug-metabolizing enzymes for the interpretation of biological monitoring of exposure to styrene.

In the field of occupational and/or environmental toxicology, the measurement of specific metabolites in urine may serve to assess exposure to the parent compounds (biological monitoring of exposure). Styrene is one of the chemicals for which biological monitoring programs have been validated and implemented in environmental and occupational medicine. However, inter-individual differences in the urinary excretion exist both for the main end-products (mandelic acid and phenylglyoxylic acid) and for its specific mercapturic acids (phenylhydroxyethylmercapturic acids, PHEMA).

Potentiation of 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane (HCFC-123)-induced liver toxicity by ethanol in guinea-pigs.

HCFC-123 (2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane), a substitute for the banned chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), is a structural analogue of the well-known hepatotoxicant halothane. The objectives of these experiments were to investigate (1) whether, like halothane, multiple exposure increases the risk of HCFC-123-induced liver toxicity, and (2) whether ethanol, a potent CYP2E1 inducer, potentiates the liver toxicity of HCFC-123. In experiment 1, male Hartley guinea-pigs were exposed twice a week to 5000 ppm HCFC-123 (4 h) during 3 weeks followed by 2 weeks recovery, and then re-exposed or not during 4 h to 5000 ppm HCFC-123.

Low bone density and renal dysfunction following environmental cadmium exposure in China.

This paper presents the main findings of a study on health effects of environmental cadmium pollution in China, performed in 1998, i.e. approximately 25 years after the first warnings of such effects were published in Ambio.

Cytochrome P4502E1 phenotyping by the measurement of the chlorzoxazone metabolic ratio: assessment of its usefulness in workers exposed to styrene.

Objectives: To analyse the relationship between cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) activity as assessed by the chlorzoxazone metabolic ratio (CMR) and frequent CYP2E1 genotypes ( CYP2E1*5B, *6, *1B and *1D) and to assess the value of CMR in refining the biomonitoring of exposure to styrene.

Methods: Thirty-one workers from a fibreglass-reinforced plastics factory took part in the study. Ambient styrene concentration was determined during the whole workshift by passive sampling.

Assessment of genotoxic effects related to chronic low level exposure to ionizing radiation using biomarkers for DNA damage and repair.

The first objective of our study was to analyse whether biomarkers for genotoxic effects (DNA breaks and alkali-labile sites and micronucleus and non-disjunction frequencies) could be fully validated for biomonitoring workers chronically exposed to ionizing radiation (IR). Blood samples of controls and individuals chronically exposed to IR were analysed. The interindividual variation was reduced when the comet data were adjusted for interexperimental variation, but remained statistically significant.