Hair and urine samples were collected from 34 male tannery workers and from 12 normal adults. Eighteen of the workers dealt directly with chromium and the remaining 16 (controls) worked in the offices and kitchen of the same factory. All were found to be clinically healthy. Chromium was determined by flameless atomic absorption spectroscopy. When compared with normal adult values, urinary chrom...

There is a need to identify specific biological indicator(s) of cadmium exposure so that the renal damage can be prevented. Towards this end, we have examined the usefulness of urinary metallothionein as an indicator of cadmium body burden. It is found that, in both animals and humans, urinary metallothionein level is related to the hepatic and renal cadmium burdens. Significant correlations ar...

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules are heterotrimers consisting of a polymorphic H chain, beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) and peptide. Peptides are thought to associate early during biosynthesis but the order of assembly of class I molecules from their component subunits in intact cells is not settled. We have studied the assembly of MHC class I molecules in intact cells wi...

As part of a study on health effects of naphtha exposure, the association between naphtha exposure and urinary excretion of total protein, albumin, beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase (beta-NAG), and beta 2-microglobulin was assessed prospectively over 1 year among workers at an automotive plant that used naphtha to calibrate fuel injectors. Participants consisted of 248 workers who provided spot u...

An immunonephelometric method developed for measurement of retinol-binding protein (RBP) in serum and urine can detect it in concentrations of about 30 micrograms/L, which is in the lower limit of its normal concentration in urine (range 0-0.56 mg/L; mean +/- SD 0.19 +/- 0.15; n = 44). Urinary RBP was increased (range 0.93-29.5 mg/L) in all of 25 urine specimens from 13 subjects being treated w...

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In human cells treated with interferons, there is an increase in the amount of HLA-A,B,C and beta 2-microglobulin exposed on the cell surface. We have used a cloned HLA-A,B,C cDNA probe to demonstrate by molecular hybridization that this effect of interferon is preceded by a large increase in the amount of HLA mRNA in the cell. This effect was found in five different human cell lines, with puri...

It has previously been shown that granite workers with heavy exposure to silica had glomerular and proximal tubular dysfunction evidenced by increased urinary excretions of albumin, alpha-1-microglobulin (AMG), and beta-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG). The investigation was replicated in another group of granite workers to further elucidate the exposure effect relation. The urinary excretion of ...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the suitability of alpha-1-microglobulin as a marker for cadmium induced renal dysfunction. METHODS alpha-1-Microglobulin was studied in a cross sectional survey in relation to the body burden of cadmium. Concentrations of alpha-1-microglobulin in 24 h urine of 831 people aged 2-87 years were analysed in association with urinary cadmium excretion, cadmium blood concentr...