engleski

The activity of erythrocyte delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase with regard to blood lead, blood cadmium, age and sex in children, adolescents and women.

The activity of eryhrocyte delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD), blood lead (PbB), andblood cadmium (CdB) were measured simultaneously in a population of non-smokers living in the vicinity of a lead smelting plant: 101 boys aged 6.5-18 years, 102 girls aged 7-18.5 years, and 88 women aged 20.5-59 years. A highly significant (P<0.001) characteristic relatioship between the exponential decrease in ALAD and the increase in PbB (log ALAD/PbB) was found in each group: boys (r=-0.787), girls (r=-0.722), and women (r=-0.602). A significant exponential decrease in ALAD with respect to the increase in CdB was found only in boys (r=-'.245, P<0.02) but not in girls (r=-0.026, P>0.70) or in women (r=-0.134, P>0.20). However, the partial correlatios between ALAD and CdB, when the effect of PbB on ALAD was excluded, showed no significant effect on CdB per se. A significant (P<0.01) increase in ALAD with respect to age was found in women (r=0.332) as well as in all females (r=0.263), and th esame trend was found in girls (r=0.171, P<0.10) and boys (r=0.104, P>0.30). In a subgroup consisting of 65 children (33 boys and 32 girls) and their mothers, a highly significant (P<0.001) relationship was found between the log ALAD levels in all children with respect to their mothers (r=0.534) as well as in boys (r=0.724), and the same trend, but not significant relationship, was found in girls with respect to their mothers (r=0.159, P>0.30). Since these results, as well as the results for ALAD with respect to age, are in very close agreement with the corresponding results for PbB, but not for CdB, it has been confirmed that ALAD activity is a highly specific and sensitive indicator of long-term cumulated exposure to lead. However, these results show hardly any influence of genetic factors on ALAD.

blood lead; blood cadmium; erythrocyte delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase

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