title: Glutathione transferases and glutathionylated hemoglobin in workers exposed to low doses of 1,3-butadiene.
abstract: We evaluated glutathione transferase (GST) activities and the levels of glutathionylated hemoglobin in the RBC of 42 workers exposed to 1,3-butadiene in a petrochemical plant, using 43 workers not exposed to 1,3-butadiene and 82 foresters as internal and external controls, respectively. Median 1,3-butadiene exposure levels were 1.5, 0.4, and 0.1 microg/m3 in 1,3-butadiene-exposed workers, in workers not directly exposed to 1,3-butadiene, and in foresters, respectively. In addition, we determined in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of the same individuals the presence of GST polymorphic genes GSTT1 and GSTM1 and the distribution of GSTP1 allelic variants. Comparing the mean values observed in petrochemical workers with those of control foresters, we found a marked decrease of GST enzymatic activity and a significant increase of glutathionylated hemoglobin in the petrochemical workers. A weak but significant negative correlation was found between levels of 1,3-butadiene exposure and GST activity, whereas a positive correlation was found between 1,3-butadiene exposure and glutathionylated hemoglobin. A negative correlation was also observed between GST activity and glutathionylated hemoglobin. No influence of confounders was observed. Using a multiple linear regression model, up to 50.6% and 41.9% of the variability observed in glutathionylated hemoglobin and GST activity, respectively, were explained by 1,3-butadiene exposure, working setting, and GSTT1 genotype. These results indicate that occupational exposure to 1,3-butadiene induces an oxidative stress that impairs the GST balance in RBC, and suggest that GST activity and glutathionylated hemoglobin could be recommended as promising biomarkers of effect in petrochemical workers.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica snc, 00133 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Primavera
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fustinoni
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biroccio
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ballerini
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Urbani
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernardini
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Federici
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Capucci
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manno
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lo Bello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002070:Butadienes / Q000633:toxicity*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D051549:Glutathione S-Transferase pi / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010578:Petroleum; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002070:Butadienes; D051549:Glutathione S-Transferase pi; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D006454:Hemoglobins; D010578:Petroleum; C413545:glutathione S-transferase T1