Elevated serum levels of pantropic p53 proteins in chromium workers.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the possibility of applying serum pantropic p53 proteins in molecular epidemiologic studies, as a biomarker of environmental carcinogenesis. The serum levels of pantropic p53 proteins were determined in workers with past exposure to hexavalent chromium compounds.


METHODS
Thirty-one male workers occupationally exposed to hexavalent chromium compounds in the production of chromium compounds for 0 to 23 years served as the exposed group. The referents were 10 volunteers without work-related exposure to chemicals. In the determination of pantropic p53 proteins, commercially available kits for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used which quantitatively detected both mutant and wild-type human p53 proteins.


RESULTS
The serum level of pantropic p53 proteins was in the range of 116.4 to 1122.6 pg/ml for the exposed workers and of 117.4 to 305.8 pg/ml for the referents. Nineteen percent of the exposed workers had a high p53 protein level (6 out of 31) when compared with the referents. All but 1 of the 6 workers had been occupationally exposed to chromium compounds for more than 11 years. Two of the 3 workers with a past history of lung cancer also showed high levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings confirm that the application of p53 proteins as a biomarker of environmental carcinogenesis merits further exploration.
Hanaoka
T
T
Division of Work Environment and Occupational Health, Institute for Science of Labour, Kawasaki, Japan.
Yamano
Y
Y
Katsuno
N
N
Kagawa
J
J
Ishizu
S
S
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002857:Chromium / Q000506:poisoning*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D002857:Chromium