title: Chronic industrial exposure to lead in 63 subjects. I. Clinical and erythrokinetic findings.
abstract: Clinical, biochemical, haematological and erythrokinetic studies were performed on 63 adult males with prolonged lead exposure. Their most common symptoms and findings were abdominal pain (62%), gingival lead lines (48%), headache and/or dizziness (33%), muscle cramps (32%), anaemia (19%), and fatigue (18%). Colicky abdominal pain (27%) and gingival lead lines correlated with urinary lead excretion. Anaemia was mild, but more frequent in the subjects with the greatest urinary lead excretion. Other associated findings were: higher reticulocyte counts and more basophilic stippling of the RBCs, more sideroblasts and greater erythroid hyperplasia of the bone marrow, more reduction in 51Cr-tagged RBC survival time, smaller RBC mass, a more rapid plasma iron clearance, a greater plasma iron turnover and greater utilization of 59Fe in subjects with urinary lead excretion of greater than 100 microng/day in comparison with the remainder and normal controls. These findings suggest that minimal chronic exposure to lead causes an increased haemolysis with resulting increased production of erythrocytes.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003306:Coproporphyrins / Q000652:urine; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004905:Erythrocyte Aging / Q000187:drug effects*; D005882:Gingival Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D007854:Lead / Q000652:urine; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D003306:Coproporphyrins; D007854:Lead; D007501:Iron