Interaction of Blood Lead and Delta-Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase Genotype on Markers of Heme Synthesis and Sperm Production in Lead Smelter Workers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Alexander BH ; Checkoway, Harvey ; Costa LG ; Costa-Mallen P ; Faustman EM ; Kelsey KT ; Van Netten C ; Woods JS
• Description:
  The gene that encodes gamma-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) has a polymorphism that may modify lead toxicokinetics and ultimately influence individual susceptibility to lead poisoning. To evaluate the effect of the ALAD polymorphism on lead-mediated outcomes, a cross-sectional study of male employees from a lead-zinc smelter compared associations between blood lead concentration and markers of heme synthesis and semen quality with respect to ALAD genotype. Male employees were recruited via postal questionnaire to donate blood and urine for analysis of blood lead, zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP), urinary coproporphyrin (CPU), and ALAD genotype, and semen samples for semen analysis. Of the 134 workers who had ALAD genotypes completed, 114 (85%) were ALAD1-1 (ALAD1) and 20 (15%) were ALAD1-2 (ALAD2). The mean blood lead concentrations for ALAD1 and ALAD2 were 23.1 and 28.4 microg/dl (p = 0.08), respectively. ZPP/heme ratios were higher in ALAD1 workers (68.6 vs. 57.8 micromol/ml; p = 0.14), and the slope of the blood lead ZPP linear relationship was greater for ALAD1 (2.83 vs. 1.50, p = 0.06). No linear relationship between CPU and blood lead concentration was observed for either ALAD1 or ALAD2. The associations of blood lead concentration with ZPP, CPU, sperm count, and sperm concentration were more evident in workers with the ALAD1 genotype and blood lead concentrations >/= 40 microg/dl. The ALAD genetic polymorphism appears to modify the association between blood lead concentration and ZPP. However, consistent modification of effects were not found for CPU, sperm count, or sperm concentration. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomarkers Demography Epidemiology Hematologic Tests Lead Metals Metal Workers Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety Sex Characteristics Urogenital Diseases Urogenital System Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Blood-analysis Demographic-characteristics Exposure-levels Lead-compounds Occupational-exposure Reproductive-effects Reproductive-system-disorders Sex-factors Smelters Work-environment Workers

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• ISSN:
  0091-6765
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  213-216
• Volume:
  106
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20024506
• Citation:
  Environ Health Perspect 1998 Apr; 106(4):213-216
• Contact Point Address:
  B.H. Alexander, Department of Environmental Health, Box 358772, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
• CAS Registry Number:
  Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1) ; Zinc (CAS RN 7440-66-6)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1998
• NORA Priority Area:
  Other Occupational Concerns
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19920401
• Source Full Name:
  Environmental Health Perspectives
• End Date:
  19941031
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:45fd652a07090c33bfc7da0cdd8620e9131c972247d9db25d2000b9c13631166dac0191fa2875ae74a9ad42583f6e07c560c4f0750c83b9d0dd4ec942db1bd0e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/196279/cdc_196279_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.27 MB ]