title: Evaluation of chromium in red blood cells as an indicator of exposure to hexavalent chromium: An in vitro study.
abstract: Chromium(VI) compounds are classified as carcinogenic to humans. Whereas chromium measurements in urine and whole blood (i.e., including plasma) are indicative of recent exposure, chromium in red blood cells (RBC) is attributable specifically to Cr(VI) exposure. Before recommending Cr in RBC as a biological indicator of Cr(VI) exposure, in-vitro studies must be undertaken to assess its reliability. The present study examines the relationship between the chromium added to a blood sample and that subsequently found in the RBC. After incubation of total blood with chromium, RBC were isolated, counted and their viability assessed. Direct analysis of chromium in RBC was conducted using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Hexavalent, but not trivalent Cr, was seen to accumulate in the RBC and we found a strong correlation between the Cr(VI) concentration added to a blood sample and the amount of Cr in RBC. This relationship appears to be independent of the chemical properties of the human blood samples (e.g., different blood donors or different reducing capacities). Even though in-vivo studies are still needed to integrate our understanding of Cr(VI) toxicokinetics, our findings reinforce the idea that a single determination of the chromium concentration in RBC would enable biomonitoring of critical cases of Cr(VI) exposure.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology, Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité, Rue du Morvan, CS 60027, F-54519 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France. Electronic address: jerome.devoy@inrs.fr.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Devoy
authors.affiliation: ISTerre, University of Grenoble, Maison des Geosciences, 1381 Rue de la Piscine, F-38400 St Martin d'Hères, France.
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Géhin
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology, Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité, Rue du Morvan, CS 60027, F-54519 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology, Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité, Rue du Morvan, CS 60027, F-54519 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melczer
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology, Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité, Rue du Morvan, CS 60027, F-54519 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Remy
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology, Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité, Rue du Morvan, CS 60027, F-54519 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Antoine
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology, Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité, Rue du Morvan, CS 60027, F-54519 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sponne
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002857:Chromium / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002857:Chromium; C074702:chromium hexavalent ion
keywords: Biomonitoring; Blood; Chromate; Chromium; Dichromate; Erythrocyte; GF-AAS; ICP-MS; RBC