title: Development of a competitive immunoassay for the determination of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)valine adducts in human haemoglobin and its application in biological monitoring.
abstract: Ethylene oxide (EO) is an important industrial compound and a directly acting mutagen. Human exposure to it can be monitored by the determination of haemoglobin (Hb) adducts. An immunoassay that quantifies the N-terminal adduct N-(2-hydroxyethyl)valine in whole blood was developed, and its potential usefulness as a tool for biologically monitoring occupational exposure demonstrated. Analytical reliability was confirmed in a comparative study with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (range 0.040-589 nmol g(-1) Hb, correlation coefficient 0.98, n=10). The assay was configured as a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to facilitate the rapid throughput of samples. The assay uses a whole blood matrix and has a working range of 10-10000 pmol N-(2-hydroxyethyl)valine g(-1) hB. The assay does not appear to be affected by structurally similar metabolites and has been used to determine adducts in human blood samples. The first results from potentially exposed workers indicate the assay might be a powerful tool for the routine occupational biomonitoring of EO exposure.
authors.affiliation: AB Biomonitoring Ltd., The Medicentre, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4UJ, Wales, UK. lball@abbiomonitoring.co.uk
authors.forename: Lathan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boogaard
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Will
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aston
mesh_terms: D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005027:Ethylene Oxide / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods*; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014633:Valine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D010455:Peptides; C057442:2-hydroxyethylvaline; D014633:Valine; D005027:Ethylene Oxide