Hematotoxicity in workers exposed to low levels of benzene.
Benzene is known to have toxic effects on the blood and bone marrow, but its impact at levels below the U.S. occupational standard of 1 part per million (ppm) remains uncertain. In a study of 250 workers exposed to benzene, white blood cell and platelet counts were significantly lower than in 140 controls, even for exposure below 1 ppm in air. Progenitor cell colony formation significantly declined with increasing benzene exposure and was more sensitive to the effects of benzene than was the number of mature blood cells. Two genetic variants in key metabolizing enzymes, myeloperoxidase and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase, influenced susceptibility to benzene hematotoxicity. Thus, hematotoxicity from exposure to benzene occurred at air levels of 1 ppm or less and may be particularly evident among genetically susceptible subpopulations.
Lan
Qing
Q
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Zhang
Luoping
L
Li
Guilan
G
Vermeulen
Roel
R
Weinberg
Rona S
RS
Dosemeci
Mustafa
M
Rappaport
Stephen M
SM
Shen
Min
M
Alter
Blanche P
BP
Wu
Yongji
Y
Kopp
William
W
Waidyanatha
Suramya
S
Rabkin
Charles
C
Guo
Weihong
W
Chanock
Stephen
S
Hayes
Richard B
RB
Linet
Martha
M
Kim
Sungkyoon
S
Yin
Songnian
S
Rothman
Nathaniel
N
Smith
Martyn T
MT
D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000633:toxicity*; D001554:Benzene / Q000633:toxicity*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects*; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006410:Hematopoiesis / Q000187:drug effects; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / Q000235:genetics; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000235:genetics; D010976:Platelet Count; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D006454:Hemoglobins; D009195:Peroxidase; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone); C447479:NQO1 protein, human; D001554:Benzene