title: [Liver enzyme abnormalities among oil refinery workers].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Occupational exposure typical of an oil refinery may alter liver function among the workers. Thus, the objective of the study was to identify risk factors for liver enzyme abnormalities among oil refinery workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The workers at an oil refinery in Northeastern Brazil underwent routine annual medical examination from 1982 to 1998. This case-control study investigated all the 150 cases of individuals with simultaneous gamma-glutamyltransferase and alanine aminotransferase abnormalities of at least 10% above reference levels. As controls, 150 workers without any liver enzyme or bilirubin abnormalities since starting to work there were selected. Odds ratios and the respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated from logistic regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all the production sectors, the risk of liver enzyme abnormalities was significantly higher than in the administrative sector (OR=5.7; 95% CI: 1.7-18.4), even when the effects of alcohol, obesity and medical history of hepatitis were controlled for. During the period from 1992 to 1994, 88 out of the 89 cases occurred among workers from the various production sectors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Occupational exposure plays an important role in causing liver enzyme abnormalities among oil refinery workers. This is in addition to the specifically biological and/or behavioral risk factors such as obesity and alcohol consumption.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil. fmc@ufba.br
authors.forename: Fernando Martins
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Annibal Muniz
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Silvany Neto
authors.forename: João Luiz Barberino
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: Helma Pinchemel
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Cotrim
authors.forename: Ana Lísia Cunha
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: Alberto Soares
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lima Júnior
authors.forename: Tatiana Oliveira Bernardo da
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Cunha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D019652:Extraction and Processing Industry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010578:Petroleum; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014166:Transferases / Q000097:blood*; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum; D014166:Transferases; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase