title: An immunoassay for monitoring human exposure to ethylene oxide.
abstract: A novel immunochemical approach has been developed to monitor human exposures to ethylene oxide (EO). The method exploits the interaction of EO with the amino function of the N-terminal valine residue of the alpha-chain of human haemoglobin (Hb). Antibodies were raised against the adducted valine in the form of the N-terminal tryptic heptapeptide and have been used to develop a sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the adducted heptapeptide. This method has been fully validated against a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method and has been applied to the monitoring of EO exposure in a group of sterilization workers.
authors.affiliation: Shell Research Ltd., Sittingbourne Research Centre, Kent, UK.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wraith
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Eadsforth
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: van Sittert
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Törnqvist
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005027:Ethylene Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D005027:Ethylene Oxide