Decreased blood level of beta 2-microglobulin in the employees of a factory which produced polychlorinated biphenyls.
Under the project of evaluating the health status of the employees of CHEMKO factory (East Slovakia) which produced PCBs between 1955 and 1985, the level of beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-m) was measured in the serum of 242 subjects from CHEMKO (Group A) and two control groups from much less polluted areas: 1,277 females from a small mountainous village (Group B), 2,179 adults from the area of a large city of Kosice (Group C). The level of thymidine kinase (TK) was measured in the groups A and B only. In addition, age-matched groups of 155 women each from all areas were evaluated. In both the whole group and the age-matched group from CHEMKO the level of beta 2-m was significantly lower (P < 0.001) than that in the respective control groups, while no difference was found in the level of TK. In conclusion, it is suggested that the decrease of beta 2-m in CHEMKO employees might be related to the immunotoxic effects of organochlorines.
Langer
P
P
Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Kausitz
J
J
Tajtáková
M
M
Kocan
A
A
Bohov
P
P
Hanzen
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002617:Chemical Industry; D003857:Deoxyuridine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D000922:Immunotoxins / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D018154:Slovakia; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000032:analysis*
D015415:Biomarkers; D000922:Immunotoxins; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D013937:Thymidine Kinase; D003857:Deoxyuridine