Arsenic and porphyrins.
BACKGROUND
To evaluate the possible effect of inorganic arsenic (iAs) and of its species on the urinary excretion of porphyrin homologues.


METHODS
Total porphyrins and their homologues (copro, penta, hexa, hepta, uroporphyrins) and arsenic species (trivalent and pentavalent As; monomethyl arsonic acid; dimethyl arsenic acid; arsenobetaine) were measured respectively by HPLC and HPLC-ICP MS in urine from 86 art glass workers exposed to iAs and from 54 controls.


RESULTS
A significant increase in the excretion of penta and uroporphyrins was demonstrated for workers exposed to As; As3 was the species best correlated with urinary porphyrin excretion.


CONCLUSIONS
The increase of urinary excretion for some porphyrin homologues appears to be consistent with the inhibition by As of URO-decarboxylase in the heme biosynthesis pathway. The determination of urinary porphyrin homologues could be useful to assess, on a group basis, some early effects of arsenic and to demonstrate possible individual susceptibility to the element.
Apostoli
P
P
Institute of Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene, University of Brescia, Italy. Apostali@med.unibs.it
Sarnico
M
M
Bavazzano
P
P
Bartoli
D
D
D000328:Adult; D001151:Arsenic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020261:Arsenic Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002617:Chemical Industry; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D016272:Occupational Health; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine*; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016482:Urinalysis
D011166:Porphyrins; D001151:Arsenic