title: [Blood levels of lead and delta-aminolevulinic dehydratase activity in a Spanish population. Effect of occupational exposure and social habits].
abstract: The effect of tobacco and alcohol on the delta-amino levulinic dehydratase (ALA-D) activity and lead level in blood is studied in a population of workers with or without exposure to lead due to their work. The lead level in the blood of workers without exposure is about 15.9 +/- 1.7 micrograms/100 ml and is unaltered by sex. The ALA-D level for men and women is 289.7 +/- 15 U/100 ml and 255.9 +/- 10 U/100 ml respectively, the difference being due mainly to the smaller hematocrit for women. Without lead exposure smoking moderately does not change the ALA-D or the lead level, whereas alcoholic drink consumption increases the lead level but does not affect the ALA-D activity. When both factors concur the ALA-D activity decreases, while the lead level increases. With lead exposure, however, neither the ALA-D activity nor the lead level undergoes any change, with of without smoking and drinking, since the values have been completely altered by the exposure. A close relationship between ALA-D activity and lead level in blood has been found in each case.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase / Q000097:blood*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D007854:Lead; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase
vernacular_title: Niveles de plomo y actividad delta-aminolevulínico deshidratasa sanguíneos en una población española. Efecto de la exposición profesional y de los hábitos sociales.