[Screen of early indicators for renal damage in mercury workers].
OBJECTIVE
To study the early indicators for renal damages in mercury workers and the clinical significance.


METHODS
Eighty-five mercury workers were divided into 2 experimental groups: the normal & subject-under-surveillance group and the mercury-poisoning group. Sixty-five healthy adults with no mercury exposure history were assigned as the control group. Any subjects with history of renal diseases or concurrent renal diseases were excluded. The results from physical examinations and measurements of HgU, B-Cr, U-Cr, BUN, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), beta2-microglobulin (beta2-MG), urinary alpha1-microglobulin (alpha1-MG), and retinol-binding protein (RBP) in all the groups were analyzed.


RESULTS
The levels of HgU, NAG, alpha1-MG, beta2-MG, and RBP were significantly higher in the experimental groups than in the control group. The levels of NAG, beta2-MG and RBP were significantly higher in the nomal & subject-under-surveillance group than in the control group. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the levels of B-Cr and BUN in the experimental groups and those of the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term exposure to mercury can cause renal damages. The level of NAG, alpha1-MG, beta2-MG, and RBP can be used as sensitive indicators for detecting early renal damages caused by mercury.
Department of Occupational Medicine, West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Li-Qiang
LQ
Zhao
Jiang
J
Shen
Quan-Cheng
QC
You
Xiao-Rong
XR
Wu
Su
S
Han
Xiao-Li
XL
Li
Ren-Yi
RY
Wang
D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase / Q000652:urine; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000652:urine
D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase