Gamma‐glutamyltransferase isoenzyme pattern in workers exposed to tetrachloroethylene

Abstract

In compliance with the mandatory medical surveillance of workers exposed to tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in Italy, isoenzyme fractioning of serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) was performed on 141 workers of both sexes and on 130 control subjects. None of the workers showed any clinical symptoms of liver disease and their enzymatic profiles, including AST, ALT, 5'-NU, ALP, and GGT, were within the normal reference limits. A statistically significant increase in total GGT serum level was found in the exposed subjects, which was associated with an increase in one of the two fractions normally present in healthy individuals (GGT-2), as well as with the appearance and progressive increase of the level of a fraction (GGT-4) considered to be an expression of hepato-biliary impairment. Further research is ongoing among these workers, which will clarify whether or not electrophoretic GGT tests may be useful in detecting liver function changes due to occupational exposure to PCE.

Hepatic ultrasonic changes in workers exposed to perchloroethylene.

“…26 Gennari and associates reported no significant difference in mean ALT in 141 dry cleaners compared with 130 non-exposed university students, and noted only a mild increase in sample mean GGT (12.4 v 8-8 U/1, P<0.05) and GGT-2 isoenzyme; no individual worker was noted to have an increase of any hepatic transaminase. 27 Similarly, increases in transaminases were uniformly mild in our study, with no transaminase values exceeding 1-5 times the normal limits. The finding of sonographic hepatic changes in this context suggests that transaminases may be of limited use in detecting subclinical injury preceding the occurrence of prominent inflammation or necrosis.…”

Alteração de enzimas hepáticas em trabalhadores de refinaria de petróleo

“…The GGT levels in 141 Italian workers exposed to tetracloroethylene were significantly higher than the levels in 130 nonexposed workers, and they presented cholestatic liver lesions. 9 Other studies 4,11,13 have associated liver enzyme abnormalities with occupational exposure to a variety of solvents.…”

“…Combined raised levels of the enzymes GGT + ALT is considered to be a sensitive 14 and early indicator of liver abnormalities resulting from occupational exposure to hepatotoxic agents. 9 Among the 548 workers, 26% had no history of obesity, daily or frequent consumption of alcohol, blood transfusion, hepatitis, jaundice or schistosomiasis, thus suggesting occupational etiology for these cases. 2 From 1994 to 2003, workers with persistently raised levels of liver enzymes were referred for specialized hepatological assessment.…”

Richtwerte für Tetrachlorethen in der Innenraumluft

“…Serumparameter für Leberfunktionsstörungen (Alanin-Aminotransferase, Aspartat-Aminotransferase, y-Glutamyltransferase, alkalische Phosphatase, Gesamt-Bilirubin) waren nicht signifikant verändert [51]. In weiteren Arbeitsplatzstudien konnten ebenfalls keine statistisch signifikanten Effekte für den Großteil der untersuchten Parameter (Alanin-Aminotransferase, Aspartat-Aminotransferase, y-Glutamyltransferase, alkalische Phosphatase, Lactat-Dehydrogenase) für eine verän-derte Leberfunktion nachgewiesen werden [52,53].…”