title: Occupational prolonged organic solvent exposure in shoemakers: brain MR spectroscopy findings.
abstract: Our purpose was to investigate, by magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy, the metabolite changes in the brains of subjects in the shoemaking industry who had been chronically exposed to organic solvents. A total of 49 male subjects and 30 age-matched healthy volunteers underwent detailed neurological and psychiatric examinations. All subjects had long-echo [repetition time (TR) 2000 ms, echo time (TE) 136 ms] single-voxel MR spectroscopy. Voxels (15 x 15 x 15 mm(3)) were placed in the parietal white matter, thalamus, and basal ganglia. N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr) and choline (Cho)/Cr ratios were calculated. There was no significant difference between the study subjects and the control group in NAA/Cr ratios obtained from thalamus, basal ganglia, and parietal white matter. Cho/Cr ratios in thalamus, basal ganglia, and parietal white matter were found to be significantly increased compared to controls. There was a positive correlation between basal ganglia Cho/Cr ratio and duration of exposure (r = 0.63). MR spectroscopy should be performed to reveal metabolite changes and determine the degree of brain involvement in solvent-related industry workers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Inonu University School of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey. aalkan@inonu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Alpay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alkan
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kutlu
authors.forename: Tarik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hallac
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sigirci
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emul
authors.forename: Nilgun
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pala
authors.forename: Tayfun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Altinok
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aslan
authors.forename: Kaya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sarac
authors.forename: Cemal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ozcan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012775:Shoes; D012997:Solvents / Q000633:toxicity*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012997:Solvents; D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline