title: Changes in natural killer cell subpopulations in lead workers.
abstract: To investigate the effects of lead on human immune system, we analyzed T cell subpopulations (CD4+, CD8+ and CD3+ cells), natural killer (NK) cell subpopulations (CD16+ and CD57+ cells) and B (CD19+) cells in peripheral blood in 29 male lead workers. All were engaged in manufacturing lead stearate in a chemical factory. They were aged 23-74 (mean 49) years. Their blood lead concentrations (PbB) were between 7 and 35 (mean 18) micrograms/dl. They were divided into two groups according to their PbB: a high-PbB group (> or = 20 micrograms/dl), and a low-PbB group (< 20 micrograms/dl). The control group consisted of 19 "healthy" male workers without a history of occupational exposure to lead or to other hazardous substances, aged 48-67 (mean 58) years. The number and percentage of CD16+ cells in the high-PbB group were significantly lower than those in the controls and in the low-PbB group. There was significant negative correlation between the number of CD16+ cells and PbB in the lead workers. The percentage of CD8+ cells in the high-PbB group was larger than that in the controls and in the low-PbB group. It is suggested that the CD16+ NK cell should be a major site of the effects of lead on lymphocyte subpopulations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sata
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Araki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanigawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katsuno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000276:immunology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007854:Lead