title: Lead exposure and urinary N-acetyl beta D glucosaminidase activity in adolescent workers in auto repair workshops.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate levels of lead (Pb) exposure and renal tubular damage among adolescent workers in auto repair workshops in Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted on 39 adolescent workers (mean age: 16.18 +/- 3.19 years) in auto repair workshops (8 autoelectrician, 10 motor repairman, 8 auto painter, 5 turner, 8 bonnet straighter). Thirteen adult employees of battery production in the workshops (mean age: 32.08 +/- 10.94 years) and 29 healthy rural adolescent (mean age: 14.78 +/- 2.68 years) constituted the control groups. The level of blood Pb was investigated by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer and urinary N-acetyl beta- D glucosaminidase (NAG) activity was measured by a colorimetric method. Mann-Whitney U test was performed to examine group differences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All subjects and controls had normal blood urea, creatinine, uric acid, sodium, potassium levels, normal routine urine examination and tubular phosphorus reabsorption. Blood Pb levels in auto repair workers (8.13 +/- 7.41 mug/dL) were significantly higher than the rural control group (3.49 +/- 1.39 mug/dL) but lower than the battery workers (25.27 +/- 9.82 mug/dL). Urinary NAG (U/gr creatinine) (4.71 +/- 2.11) was lower than the battery workers (7.39 +/- 4.37), however significantly higher than the normal control group (3.07 +/- 1.20). In addition, auto painters had higher levels of Pb exposure and urinary NAG activity than the other workers (p <.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic low dose Pb exposure was found to cause renal tubular injury in children workers of auto repair workshops.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Medicine, Aydin, Turkey. ferahsonmez@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ferah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sönmez
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dönmez
authors.forename: Hulki Meltem
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Sönmez
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keskinoğlu
authors.forename: Caner
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kabasakal
authors.forename: Sevgi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mir
mesh_terms: D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase / Q000652:urine*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001336:Automobiles; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure
chemical_list: D007854:Lead; D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase