title: Development and validation of a competitive immunoassay for urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid and its application in benzene biological monitoring.
abstract: An immunoassay that quantifies urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid (PMA), a benzenespecific biomarker, has been developed and its potential usefulness as a screening tool for monitoring occupational exposure to benzene has been demonstrated. Analytical reliability has been confirmed by correlation of results with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) data (R = 0.92). The assay has been configured as a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to facilitate rapid throughput of samples. The ELISA has a working range of 40-1200 nmoll-1 urinary PMA and appears to be unaffected by the presence of structurally related urinary metabolites. Background levels of 0-1.9 mumol PMA/mol creatinine (mean 0.9 mumol mol-1, n = 32) were measured in nonsmoking control subjects. Recent exposures to benzene (8 h time-weighted averages-TWA), during diverse industrial processes, over the range 0-4.8 ppm were identified by application of the assay in biological monitoring programmes.
authors.affiliation: AB Biomonitoring Ltd, Cardiff Medicentre, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4UJ, UK. jpaston@abbiomonitoring.co.uk
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Aston
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Pople
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cocker
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000652:urine*; D001554:Benzene / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C053003:S-phenyl-N-acetylcysteine; D001554:Benzene; D000111:Acetylcysteine