Prediction of blood lead by HPLC assay of erythrocyte pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidase.
A simplified preparation of erythrocytes (rbc) for rbc pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidase (P5N) is described and correlated with blood lead. Washed but unfiltered rbc are incubated with uridine monophosphate (UMP) and the amount of uridine liberated is measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). UMPase activity of unfiltered rbc of 20 normal subjects was 12.4 +/- 2.4 units, comparable to reported data obtained under varying conditions of preparation and P5N assay. In 20 lead-exposed adults and 20 controls, the regression coefficient for blood lead (PbB) predicted by rbc UMPase was In PbB = 4.77 - 0.22 UMPase; r2 = .61. If UMPase less than or equal to 7.6 units (mean, 2.0 SD) is considered abnormal, sensitivity for prediction of a blood lead greater than or equal to 40 micrograms/dL is 80%. Specificity, the percent of subjects with a UMPase greater than 7.6 units who had a blood lead less than 40 micrograms/dL, was 96%. Wider utilization of P5N, measured as UMPase, is proposed as a biologic correlate of blood lead.
D015720:5'-Nucleotidase; D000328:Adult; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009708:Nucleotidases / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
D007854:Lead; D009708:Nucleotidases; D015720:5'-Nucleotidase