title: [Interest of the cholinesterase assay during organophosphate poisonings].
abstract: Cholinesterases are the main targets of organophosphorus compounds. The two enzymes present in the blood (butyrylcholinesterase, BChE; acetylcholinesterase, AChE) are biomarkers of their systemic toxicity. Activity of the plasma BChE is very often determined as it allows a rapid diagnostic of poisoning and is a marker of the persistence of the toxicant in the blood. The activity of the red blood cell AChE gives a better picture of the synaptic inhibition in the nervous system but the assay is less commonly available in routine laboratories. Better biomarker of the exposure, it allows a diagnosis of the severity of the poisoning and helps to assess the efficacy of oxime therapy. Besides the practical aspects of blood collection and sample processing, and the interpretation of the assays, this review stresses the complementarity of both enzyme assays and recalls their crucial interest for the confirmation of poisoning with an organophosphorus in a situation of war or terrorist attack and for the monitoring of occupational exposures.
authors.affiliation: Antenne médicale des armées (AMA) de Vert-Le-Petit, centre médical des armées (CMA) de Montlhéry, site de DGA Maîtrise NRBC-Lieu dit « Le Bouchet », 5, rue Lavoisier, BP n(o) 3, 91710 Vert-Le-Petit, France. Electronic address: amgueguen16@aol.fr.
authors.forename: A-M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jalady
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dorandeu
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D002801:Cholinesterase Reactivators / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D062025:Organophosphate Poisoning / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D010091:Oximes / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002801:Cholinesterase Reactivators; D010755:Organophosphates; D010091:Oximes; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase; D002802:Cholinesterases
keywords: Biomarkers; Biomarqueurs; Cholinesterases; Cholinestérases; Exposition; Exposure; Neurotoxiques organophosphorés; Organophosphorus agents