[Buccoepithelial cytologic lesions in workers exposed to chemical products].
OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to describe the genetic and cytologic lesions induced by occupational exposition to chemicals (barley powder, carbon dioxide, ammonia, organic solvents, and welding vapors) and to correlate frequencies of appearance of buccoepithelial cytologic disorders with age and toxic habits.


METHODS
This descriptive, transverse observational study was comprised of 77 male workers to obtain information concerning age, on-the-job seniority, time of exposure, direct and indirect exposure, use of breathing protection, and toxic habits. We used exfoliated cells of the buccal mucosa to estimate presence of chromosomal aberrations (micronuclei) and nuclear abnormalities (binucleation, pyknosis, condensed chromatin, and karyolysis). Results were correlated by Pearson's coefficient.


RESULTS
The investigated workers labored 8 h/ day; 80.5% were exposed directly to chemicals, while 19.5% were indirectly exposed during an average of 6.5 h per workday. A total of 85.7% of workers referred not using breathing protection, and 28.6% and 36.4% reported smoking and alcohol consumption, respectively. In a general manner, we detected a certain prevalence of irreversible cytotoxic lesions and absence of a statistically significant correlation between cytotoxicity and age (r = 0.14), alcohol consumption (r = 0.02) and smoking (r = 0.11).
Domínguez Odio
Aníbal
A
Laboratorio de Genética Toxicológica, Centro de Toxicología y Biomedicina, Hospital Provincial Docente "Saturnino Lora", Instituto Superior de Ciencias Médicas de Santiago de Cuba. odio@toxi.scu.sld.cu
Rojas Vázquez
Evelyn Ivette
EI
Romero García
Lázaro Ibrahim
LI
Rodríguez Tito
José Carlos
JC
Pérez Andrés
Irela
I
D000328:Adult; D002610:Cheek; D002617:Chemical Industry; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003462:Cuba / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology*
D015386:Hazardous Substances