OBJECTIVETo investigate the application of BPDE-albumin adducts as monitoring biomarkers for coke oven workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and to explore possible relationship between BPDE-albumin adducts and urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) levels in them.

METHODSThirty-seven coke oven workers from a coke plant and 47 controls without the occupational exposure to PAHs were recruited in this study. The levels of plasma BPDE-albumin adducts and urinary 1-OHP were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography.

RESULTSThe median levels of BPDE-albumin adducts (42.10 fmol/mg albumin) and urinary 1-OHP (5.46 micromol/mol creatinine) were significantly higher in coke oven workers than in controls (14.16 fmol/mg albumin, 2.96 micromol/mol creatinine, respectively; P<0.01). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that coke oven workers were at higher risk of having BPDE-albumin adduct levels above 25.30 micromol/mg albumin (OR=1.79, P<0.01) and urinary 1-OHP levels above 4.13 micromol/mol creatinine (OR=2.45, P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between the levels of BPDE-albumin adducts and urinary 1-OHP in all subjects (rs=0.349, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONBPDE-albumin adduct is a useful biomarker for monitoring long-term exposure to PAHs, and plasma BPDE-albumin adducts level is significantly correlated to urinary 1-OHP levels in coke oven workers.

7,8-Dihydro-7,8-dihydroxybenzo(a)pyrene 9,10-oxide ; analysis ; Adult ; Coal Mining ; manpower ; Coke ; adverse effects ; Environmental Monitoring ; Humans ; Male ; Mutagens ; analysis ; Occupational Exposure ; Plasma ; chemistry ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ; Pyrenes ; analysis ; Serum Albumin ; analysis ; Urinalysis ; Urine ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study the associations of CYP1A1 gene polymorphisms with levels of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene among coke oven workers.

METHODS223 male workers from a coke plant (76, 82 and 65 workers in oven top group, oven-side group and oven-bottom group respectively) and 119 controls without occupational polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure were selected. The MspI gene polymorphism in CYP1A1 3' flanking region and the genotypes at I462V site in exon 7 of CYP1A1 were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and allele specific amplification (ASA).

RESULTSThe urinary 1-hydroxypyrene of coke oven workers in oven-top, oven-side and oven-bottom (3.77+/-0.64, 3.57+/-0.49, 3.26+/-0.80 micromol/mol Cr) were significantly higher than controls (2.80+/-1.02 micromol/mol Cr) (P<0.01). The urinary 1-hydroxypyrene was not significantly different among MspI genotypes in CYP1A1 3' flanking region (P>0.05). In oven-top group and oven-side group, the subjects with Val/Val genotype in exon 7 of CYP1A1 had significantly higher urinary 1-hydroxypyrene levels than those with Ile/Val or Ile/Ile genotype, and urinary 1-hydroxypyrene of Ile-Val genotype were also significantly higher than Ile/Ile genotype (P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the coke oven workers (OR in oven top group, oven-side group and oven-bottom group was 24.926, 4.226 and 6.729 respectively) and subjects with m2/m2 genotype in CYP1A1 3' flanking region (OR=4.031) or with Val/Val or Ile/Val genotype in exon 7 of CYP1A1 (OR were 5.524 and 3.811) had elevated urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (greater than 95 percentile of control group, 3.876 micromol/mol Cr).

CONCLUSIONBAP concentration of work environment contributes to the elevated urinary 1-hydroxypyrene levels, and the exposed BAP levels were regulated by the CYP1A1 MspI and I462V genotypes. Genetic polymorphism of CYP1A1 gene could be a susceptible biomarker in coke oven workers which was involved in the individual susceptibility on metabolism of PAHs.

Adult ; Benzo(a)pyrene ; adverse effects ; Coke ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Pyrenes ; pharmacokinetics ; Urine ; chemistry

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants present in air and food. Among PAHs, benzo(a)pyrene(BaP), phenanthrene (PH) and pyrene (PY) are considered to be important for their toxicity or abundance. To investigate the changes of biomarkers after PAH exposure, rats were treated with BaP (150 microgram/kg) alone or with PH (4,300 microgram/kg) and PY (2,700 microgram/kg) (BPP group) by oral gavage once per day for 30 days. 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity in liver microsomal fraction was increased in only BaP groups. The highest concentration (34.5 ng/g) of BaP, was found in muscle of rats treated with BaP alone at 20 days of treatment; it was 23.6 ng/g in BPP treated rats at 30 days of treatment. The highest PH concentration was 47.1 ng/g in muscle and 118.8 ng/g in fat, and for PY it was 29.7 ng/g in muscle and 219.9 ng/g in fat, in BPP groups. In urine, 114-161 ng/ml 3-OH-PH was found, while PH was 41-69 ng/ml during treatment. 201-263 ng/ml 1-OH-PY was found, while PH was 9-17 ng/ml in urine. The level of PY, PH and their metabolites in urine was rapidly decreased after withdrawal of treatment. This study suggest that 1-OH-PY in urine is a sensitive biomarker for PAHs; it was the most highly detected marker among the three PAHs and their metabolites evaluated during the exposure period and for 14 days after withdrawal.
Adipose Tissue/chemistry/drug effects ; Animals ; Benzo(a)pyrene/analysis/metabolism/*toxicity ; Biological Markers/metabolism/urine ; Blood Chemical Analysis ; Body Weight/drug effects ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1/metabolism ; Environmental Pollutants/blood/metabolism/*toxicity/urine ; Female ; Liver/drug effects/enzymology ; Lymphocytes/drug effects/metabolism ; Muscle, Skeletal/drug effects/metabolism ; Organ Size/drug effects ; Phenanthrenes/blood/metabolism/*toxicity/urine ; Pyrenes/analysis/metabolism/*toxicity ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Time Factors

Adult ; Coke ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pyrenes ; analysis ; Urinalysis ; Urine ; chemistry ; Young Adult

Adult ; Coke ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Pyrenes ; pharmacokinetics ; Urine ; chemistry ; Young Adult

Objective: To study the pathological types of lung cancer caused by coke oven emissions and analyze the correlation between different exposure levels. Methods: In October 2020, the relevant data of 86 confirmed cases of lung cancer caused by coke oven emissions (including basic information of patients, relevant occupational exposure and clinical data) were collected, The workers were grouped according to the different COEs concentrations in their posts: workers in auxiliary posts were taken as the low exposure group (11 persons) , The workers at coke side and furnace bottom are the medium exposure group (14 persons) , and the workers at furnace top are the high exposure group (61 persons) , and the correlation between pathological types of lung cancer and different exposure levels was analyzed. Results: There was no significant difference in age and length of service among the groups (P>0.05) ; The number of lung cancer cases and pathological types among workers in each group were statistically significant (P=0.044) . After adjusting for interference factors, the number of undifferentiated cancers (mainly small cell lung cancer) increased with the increase of exposure level, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.001) . The incidence of lung cancer increased gradually with the length of service, and the incidence rate of lung cancer among workers of different working ages was statistically significant (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Undifferentiated small cell carcinoma is the most common pathological type of lung cancer caused by coke oven emissions, and the incidence of lung cancer tends to increase with the length of service.
Humans ; Coke/analysis* ; Lung Neoplasms/epidemiology* ; Occupational Exposure/analysis* ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/analysis* ; Pyrenes/analysis*

Objective: To investigate the relationship of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure, S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) activity and long noncoding RNA H19 gene expression in the urine of coke oven workers. Methods: In September 2019, in a coking plant in Taiyuan City, 146 male workers who had worked in coke oven operations for one year were selected through a completely random sampling method, and their basic personal information was collected by questionnaire survey, and blood and urine samples were collected. The levels of 4 PAHs metabolites 2-hydroxfluorene (2-FLU), 2- hydroxynaphthalene (2-NAP), 9-hydroxyphenanthren (9-PHE), and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) in urine were detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) -fluorescence detection method. HPLC-UV detection method was used to detect the content of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) in plasma, and the SAHH activity value was obtained by calculating the ratio. Reverse transcription PCR method was used to determine the H19 gene expression level. Urine levels of 2-FLU, 2-NAP, 9-PHE, and 1-OHP were divided into Q(1), Q(2), Q(3), and Q(4) groups according to quartiles (P(25), P(50), P(75)). Regression, trend test and restricted cubic splines were used to analyze the relationship among PAHs metabolites, SAHH activity, H19 gene expression and their dose-response. Results: The median age of coke oven workers was 39.60 years old, the median length of service was 20.38 years, and the urinary levels of 2-FLU, 2-NAP, 9- PHE, and 1-OHP were 0.29, 0.74, 0.09, and 0.06 μg/mmol Cr, respectively. The levels of 2-FLU, 2-NAP and 9-PHE in the urine of workers were significantly different between groups with different 1-OHP levels (P<0.05). After adjusting for age, length of service, smoking, drinking, and levels of 2-FLU, 2-NAP and 9-PHE, SAHH activity decreased with the increase of urinary 1-OHP level (OR=0.63, 95%CI: 0.41-0.98, P=0.038), showing a nonlinear relationship (P(nonlinear)= 0.030). H19 gene expression increased with the increase of urinary 1- OHP level (OR=1.51, 95%CI: 1.03-2.19, P=0.033), there was a linear relationship (P(trend)= 0.058). The relationship between the other three metabolites in urine and SAHH activity and H19 gene expression was not statistically significant (P>0.05) . Conclusion: Urinary 1-OHP level may be a risk factor for decreased SAHH activity and increased H19 gene expression in coke oven workers.
Humans ; Adult ; Coke/analysis* ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/analysis* ; Occupational Exposure/analysis* ; Pyrenes/analysis* ; Smoking/urine*

BACKGROUND: Little data is available regarding hospitalized patients with nursing home-acquired pneumonia (NHAP). This is unfortunate because there is an increasing number of elderly persons who are living in nursing homes in Korea. The aim of this study was to compare clinical characteristics and treatment responses of NHAP with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). METHODS: Patients with pneumonia who were admitted from eight nursing homes or from their own homes were enrolled between May 2007 and April 2009. Their clinical characteristics and treatment responses were reviewed retrospectively, and differences between the two groups were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 110 Patients with pneumonia, 66 (60%) were from nursing homes and their median age was 84. In the NHAP group, functional performance status was significantly poorer, classical symptoms of pneumonia were less severe, and multi-lobe involvement (on chest radiographs) was more frequent than in the CAP group. Patients with NHAP more frequently showed lymphocytopenia, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, hypoxemia, and elevated blood urea nitrogen on admission. The mean CURB-65 score was 2.2 in the NHAP group, higher than 1.7 in the CAP group (p=0.004), and multi-drug resistant pathogens were also highly identified in NHAP group (39% vs. 10%, p=0.036). The mean duration of antibiotic therapy was greater for the NHAP (12.6 days) than for the CAP group (6.6 days) (p<0.001). The mortality rate was 23% in NHAP group, which was significantly higher than 5% in the CAP group (p=0.014). CONCLUSION: NHAP should be more intensively investigated because of the higher frequency of multi-drug resistant pathogens and mortality than the CAP.
Aged ; Anemia ; Anoxia ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Korea ; Lymphopenia ; Nursing Homes ; Pneumonia ; Pyrenes ; Retrospective Studies ; Thorax

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between polymorphism of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) gene in G1661A and the level of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene among coke oven workers.

METHODS295 male subjects were studied, including 214 workers working in coke oven plant and 81 controls working in raw material plant who were not generally exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons occupationally. General in-formation of subjects were collected in a specific questionnaire including age, smoking and drinking habits, the history of occupation and so on. The AhR genotypes were detected by allele specific amplification (ASA), and the levels of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene were measured by high performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector.

RESULTSThe frequencies of G/G, G/A and A/A genotype were 52.8% (113/214), 27.6% (59/214) and 19.6% (42/214) in exposed group and 67.9% (55/81), 19.8% (16/81) and 12.3% (10/81) in control group, respectively. No significant difference was found in three genotypes between the exposed and control group. Allele frequencies of G and A were 66.6% (285/428) and 33.4% (143/428) in exposed group and 77.8% (126/162) and 22.2% (36/162) in control group, and no statistical differences were found in allele frequency between exposed and control group. After the length of service and external exposure orders in general linear model were adjusted, results of covariance analysis showed that logarithmic transformed urinary 1-hydroxypyrene levels were (3.62 +/- 0.12), (3.43 +/- 0.12) and (3.44 +/- 0.08) micromol/mol Cr in individuals with A/A, G/A and G/G, respectively. The logarithmic transformed urinary 1-hydroxypyrene levels were (3.24 +/- 0.09) and (3.43 +/- 0.10) micromol/mol Cr in individuals with allele of G and A. No statistical differences were found in level of 1-hydroxypyrene among A/A, G/A and G/G genotype individuals, and between allele G and allele A after external exposure orders and length of service were adjusted.

CONCLUSIONThe polymorphism of aryl hydrocarbon receptor G1661A has no significant impact on levels of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene.

Adult ; Coke ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Pyrenes ; pharmacokinetics ; Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon ; genetics ; Urine ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo analyze the relationship between metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and lung function in coke oven workers, and to provide scientific basis for further exploring the potential mechanism and developing the preventing strategies of the workers' early lung damage.

METHODSWe measured carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, benzene soluble matter, particulate matters, and PAHs at different workplaces of a coke oven plant. Detailed information on demography and occupational health condition of 912 workers were collected. We divided these workers into control group and coke oven group according to their workplaces and the different concentrations of COEs in the environment. We detected 10 urinary PAH metabolites and lung function using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and spirometric tests, respectively.

RESULTSFEV(1.0) (91.12 ± 13.31) and FEV(1.0)/FVC (108.61 ± 20.37) of the coke oven group is significantly lower than the control group (94.16 ± 15.57, 113.45 ± 19.70). In the coke oven group, the hydroxyphenanthrene and 1-hydroxypyrene are negatively correlated with FEV(1.0)/FVC (β = -0.136, β = -0.100), Ptrend < 0.05 for all.

CONCLUSIONThe dose response decrease of lung function is associated with the urinary PAH metabolites in coke oven workers. Indicated that the long exposure to PAHs may cause the early lung damage in coke oven workers, phenanthrene and pyrene may be the main factors.

Adult ; Air Pollutants, Occupational ; urine ; Coke ; Humans ; Lung ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis ; Phenanthrenes ; urine ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ; urine ; Pyrenes ; urine ; Respiratory Function Tests