Blood antioxidant enzymes as markers of exposure or effect in coal miners.

Abstract

Objective-To investigate if blood Cu++/Zn++ superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and total plasma antioxidant activities could be markers of biological activity resulting from exposure to respirable coal mine dust in active miners, and of pneumoconiosis in retired miners. Methods-Blood samples were randomly obtained from active surface workers (n = 30) and underground miners (n = 34), and from retired miners without (n = 21), and with (n = 33) pneumoconiosis. Antioxidant enzyme activities and total plasma antioxidants were measured in erythrocytes and plasma. Non-parametric tests were completed by analyses of covariance to compare antioxidants between groups, taking into account potential confounding factors (age, smoking history (pack-years)).Results-Erythrocyte Cu++IZn++ superoxide dismutase activity was significantly higher in the group of underground miners than the group of surface workers. The differences in total plasma antioxidants and plasma glutathione peroxidase activity between both groups were related to age. Glutathione peroxidase activity increased in the plasma of retired miners with pneumoconiosis, compared with retired miners without pneumoconiosis. No differences were found either in erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities or in total plasma antioxidants between the groups of retired miners without and with pneumoconiosis. Conclusions-In this study, erythrocyte Cu++/Zn++ superoxide dismutase activity may be considered as a marker of effect of respirable coal mine dust in exposed workers. This result is in agreement with the hypothesis that reactive oxygen species are involved in cell injury induced by coal mine dust, and may be predictive of the degree ofinflammation and pneumoconiosis induced by coal mine dust. The increase in glutathione peroxidase activity in the plasma of retired miners with pneumoconiosis may be the result of a response to the increasing hydrogen peroxide (HO,) production due to the disease process.(Occup Environ Med 1996;53:41-45)

Relationship between blood antioxidants and occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coke oven workers

“…Moreover, catalase activity was positively correlated with the urinary creatinine-corrected concentration of Hg. We also reported that erythrocyte Cu ϩϩ /Zn ϩϩ SOD activity was significantly higher in underground miners exposed to respirable dust particles than in surface workers [Perrin-Nadif et al, 1996a].…”

Erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities in coal miners from three French regions

“…Previously we reported that erythrocyte Cu 2+ /Zn 2+ SOD activity was signi®cantly higher in underground miners exposed to respirable coal-mine dust particles than in surface workers in Lorraine, re¯ecting the higher pneumoconiosis risk for underground versus surface workers (Perrin-Nadif et al 1996). However, dramatic increases in MnSOD mRNA levels that correlated with increases in MnSOD-immunoreactive protein were found after 8 weeks in rat lungs after inhalation of particles that caused pulmonary inammation and ®brosis (Janssen et al 1992).…”

“…No dierence was seen between the retired miners with and those without CWP. Previously we reported that erythrocyte Cu 2+ /Zn 2+ SOD activity was not changed in retired miners with pneumoconiosis as compared with healthy retired miners (Perrin-Nadif et al 1996). Studies on workers exposed to silica-containing dusts, including coal mine dust, have revealed no signi®cant dierence in SOD activity between healthy miners and three subgroups of miners with CWP (Borm et al 1989(Borm et al , 1991Engelen et al 1990).…”

“…The measurement of erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities is a simple, speci®c, and no longer invasive way of investigating the role of oxidative stress in miners with CWP or in miners chronically exposed to coal-mine dust particles. We have recently reported that erythrocyte Cu 2+ /Zn 2+ SOD activity may be considered a marker of the eect of respirable coal mine dust in exposed workers in a Lorraine mine (Perrin-Nadif et al 1996). The present study is part of a larger project aimed at evaluating a set of potential biomarkers with regard to exposure to coal mine dust, early detection of biologic eects, and identi®cation of those at risk for CWP (Porcher et al 1993(Porcher et al , 1994.…”

Systemic Oxidative Stress Promoted by Emissions of Particulate Matter is Attenuated by Antioxidant Supplementation

“…Such prooxidant/antioxidant imbalance was already detected in the blood of subjects chronically exposed to coal dusts, provoking enhanced lipoperoxidation in plasma [9,10] together with a decline in antioxidants such as reduced glutathione [11], and antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase [10][11][12][13].…”