Lead is a persistent toxic metal and associated with impairment of various body functions in occupational workers. The main objective was to determine the lead-induced oxidative stress and adverse health effects by biochemical markers in industrial workers. One hundred and forty-eight males consisting of 87 lead-exposed industrial workers and 61 controls were included. Blood lead level (BLL) was determined on a 3010B ESA lead analyzer. Blood complete counts were done on a hematology analyzer. Biochemical markers including serum uric acid, urea, creatinine, phosphate, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) were measured on a Selectra E auto analyzer. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured spectrophotometrically and C-reactive protein (CRP) on Immulite-1000. Results revealed that lead-exposed workers had significantly high BLLs, median (range), 29.1 (9.0-61.1) microg/dL compared with controls, 8.3 (1.0-21.7) microg/dL. Oxidative stress (MDA, GGT) and inflammatory markers (high-sensitivity CRP) were significantly increased (P < or = 0.05). Blood pressure was raised, whereas hemoglobin was decreased in exposed group (P < or = 0.002). Serum urea, uric acid, phosphate, and ALT were significantly raised in lead-exposed workers (P < or = 0.001). Serum albumin, total proteins, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were decreased. Blood lead showed a significant positive correlation with serum GGT (r = 0.63), MDA (r = 0.71), CRP (r = 0.75), urea (r = 0.34), creatinine (r = 0.51), and uric acid (r = 0.29) (P < or = 0.01). It is concluded that lead exposure increases oxidative stress that correlates with adverse changes in hematological, renal, and hepatic function in the occupational workers. Elevated blood lead has positive correlation with oxidative stress, inflammatory and biochemical markers that might be used to detect impairment in the body function in lead exposed workers.

This paper aimed to map the existing sustainable manufacturing literature to explore and classify existing practices to highlight the potential prospect of and obstacles to achieving manufacturing sustainability in countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This paper systematically reviews the research on sustainable manufacturing in the ASEAN region from 2011 to 2020. We used the PRISMA framework for systematic literature, and 118 research articles specific to the ASEAN region were identified through a structured keyword search in Web of Science, SCOPUS, ProQuest, and other databases. After a careful screening process, only 115 records were found appropriate to be included for review in the current study. The results revealed three significant sets of manufacturing practices that are widely used for sustainable manufacturing. These are sustainable product development, sustainable manufacturing performance, and environmental assessment and monitoring. Furthermore, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of the literature to highlight ASEAN countries’ collaborative efforts to achieve sustainability in manufacturing. The findings indicate that most of the earlier work on sustainable manufacturing focused on environmental assessment practices rather than providing holistic industrial engineering solutions. We recommend that the efforts focus on hybrid processes to establish sustainable manufacturing procedures in ASEAN member countries. Holistic solutions through industrial processing integration need to be developed to provide broader industrial solutions to protect the environment and society from the adverse effects of the manufacturing process with economic efficiency.

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Lead exposure is an important environmental health problem particularly affecting the children of occupational workers living in the lead-contaminated environment. The objectives of the study were to find out the frequency, potential sources and adverse health effects of elevated blood lead level (BLL) in the children of lead-related occupational workers. It was a comparative cross-sectional study. A total of two hundred forty six children aged 1-6 years, comprising an equal number (n = 123) from lead smelters/battery recycle plant workers living close to the industries at Wah/Gujranwala, Pakistan (lead-exposed group) and those living 30 km away from the industrial area (controls) were included. Demographic and clinical data of each subject was collected. Blood lead analysis was carried out by using kits on the lead analyzer (3010 B ESA, USA). Biochemical tests of renal and hepatic profile were analyzed on Selectra E auto analyzer. The median age of children was 4 years; comprising of 69 boys and 54 girls. The lead-exposed children had significantly high BLLs median (range) 8.1 (1-20.9) microg/dL as compared to controls 6.7 (1-13.3) microg/dL (p 10 microg/dL) in 38 (31%) as compared with 14 (11%) in controls. Hematopoietic, renal, and hepatic functions were significantly impaired in the lead-exposed children. In conclusion, the children of lead-related occupational workers have significantly increased frequency (31%) of lead poisoning. The potential source of lead overexposure in these children may be indirect through father's clothes and contaminated environment at home. Increased lead accumulation adversely affects health of these children.

Objectives: to determine the relationship of 374T/A (rs1800624) polymorphism in the gene encoding RAGE with Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), diabetic retinopathy (DR) and serum soluble RAGE (sRAGE) level in Pakistani patients. Methods: A case-control study, conducted from January 2017 to December 2018, involving 150 healthy controls (HC), 150 T2DM patients with no retinopathy (DNR) and 150 DR patients diagnosed by coloured fundus photography. Tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system – polymerase chain reaction (T-ARMS-PCR) was used for genotyping. Serum sRAGE levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELIZA). Results: The frequency of TT, TA and AA genotypes of rs1800624 polymorphism were: 92.7%, 6%, 1.3% in HC, 80%, 17.3%, 2.7% in DNR and 76.7%, 19.3%, 4.3% in DR groups. Heterozygous TA genotype and mutant A allele showed significant association with diabetes and DR vs HC. In dominant model, mutant allele showed significant association with DNR and DR vs HC. No significant association of rs1800624 was detected with DR and its sub-groups, non-proliferative DR (NPDR) and proliferative DR (PDR) vs DNR. Dividing NPDR into mild, moderate and severe, heterozygous TA genotype showed significant association with moderate and severe NPDR vs DNR. In DNR and DR groups, TA genotype was significantly associated with raised sRAGE. Conclusion: rs1800624 RAGE gene polymorphism might be a risk factor for T2DM and NPDR in Pakistani patients. Raised sRAGE levels have a positive correlation with PDR and are associated with heterozygosity of rs1800624 polymorphism in DNR and DR groups doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.3.3670 How to cite this:Qayyum S, Afzal M, Naveed AK. Association analysis of 374T/A (rs1800624) receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) gene polymorphism with diabetic retinopathy in Pakistani patients. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(3):---------.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.3.3670 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.