title: N-Methylenvaline in a group of subjects occupationally exposed to formaldehyde.
abstract: Aim of this pilot study was to correlate the human exposure to formaldehyde (F) with N-methylenvaline, a molecular adduct formed by addiction of F to the N-terminal valine in hemoglobin. A group of 21 subjects employed in a plywood factory and a laminate factory, and occupationally exposed to F, together with a group of 30 controls, were recruited as volunteers to test this biomarker. Each subject received a questionnaire and a passive personal F sampler. Exposure to F vapors and occurrence of N-methylenvaline in blood were measured. Integrated F concentrations always proved lower than threshold limit value as a ceiling (TLV-TWA) (0.37 mg/m(3), 0.3 ppm). N-Methylenvaline distribution in blood, as measured by GC/MS upon derivatization, showed direct positive relationship to F exposure, with r=0.465. Prevalence of the molecular adduct expressed in nmol/g of globin was significantly higher in the exposed group (p<0.04) than in the control group. However, the N-methylenvaline marker was unable to provide significant distinction between the subjects exposed to F through tobacco smoke habit and the non smokers. Despite this interference, in this pilot study the usefulness of N-methylenvaline as a biomarker for testing occupational exposure to F was demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Microbiology, University of Torino, via Santena 5 BIS, Italy. roberto.bono@unito.it
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bono
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vincenti
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schiliro'
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scursatone
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pignata
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gilli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000652:urine; D003367:Cotinine / Q000652:urine; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000652:urine; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006454:Hemoglobins; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D020711:Threshold Limit Values; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D014633:Valine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood*; D017132:Workplace
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D006454:Hemoglobins; C469556:N-methylvaline; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D005557:Formaldehyde; D014633:Valine; D003367:Cotinine