title: Serum erythropoietin and blood lead concentrations.
abstract: The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that high blood lead levels are associated with depressed serum erythropoietin concentrations in workers occupationally exposed to lead. The results in exposed workers and in a control group of unexposed subjects were compared. Blood lead values were < or = 20 micrograms/dl in unexposed subjects and > or = 30 micrograms/dl in exposed subjects. The two groups of exposed workers and the control population were matched for sex and age. Hemoglobin levels were not affected by blood lead values and did not differ significantly between the three groups. The two-tailed, nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare unpaired groups. The Spearman rank correlation test was used to evaluate the dose-effect relationship between Pb and EPO. The analysis of the data indicate that erythropoietin values are significantly lower in exposed subjects than a controls. However no correlation was demonstrated between blood lead concentrations and erythropoietin in any group.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Medicina del Lavoro, Università di Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aprea
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boccalon
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Orsi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Porcelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sartorelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002516:Ceramics; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000378:metabolism*; D005898:Glass; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D004921:Erythropoietin