title: Inverse relationship between serum erythropoietin and blood lead concentrations in Kathmandu tricycle taxi drivers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Kathmandu tricycle taxi drivers, whose environmental lead (Pb) exposure is ascribable mainly to vehicular exhaust, were studied to examine a dose-response relationship between blood Pb (Pb-B) and serum erythropoietin (sEPO) concentrations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 27 drivers and 9 non-drivers. They were non-anemic healthy men with normal renal function. Pb-B was measured by an atomic absorption spectrometer with a graphite furnace, and sEPO was determined with a sandwich-type enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  sEPO levels in drivers were lower than those of non-drivers, while Pb-B levels in drivers were higher than those of non-drivers. There was an inverse relationship between Pb-B and sEPO.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data suggest that Pb inhibits renal EPO production in a dose-dependent manner in persons with subclinical Pb toxicity. sEPO may serve as an early biochemical marker of subclinical Pb toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology II, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521, Japan. ssakata@naramed-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogoshi
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Yoshimi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kishi
authors.forename: Jeevan B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Sherchand
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Utsumi
authors.forename: Munetaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Miyako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takaki
authors.forename: Masatsugu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Ippei
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001642:Bicycling; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009390:Nepal; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014186:Transportation
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D015415:Biomarkers; D004921:Erythropoietin; D007854:Lead