OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of low-level long-term occupational exposure to chromate on the health of workers, and the potential biomarkers of early health effects in terms of lung function, immune toxicity and genetic damage. METHODS: A total of 22 chromate contact workers and 44 non-chromate contact workers from an electroplating enterprise with long-term occupational environment monitoring in line with the national standards in Inner Mongolia were investigated. The questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the basic situation, the history of smoking, drinking, diseases and so on. The portable lung function instrument, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus test were performed to measure the chromate contact workers'lung function, whole blood Cr (WB-Cr) and micronuclei frequency (MNF) of peripheral blood lymphocytes respectively. The cytometric bead array was used to detect the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12P70 and TNFα in the serum among the two groups. The effects of chromate exposure on the above-mentioned indexes involved biological exposure, lung function, immune response and genetic damage, and their correlation were analyzed with different statistical methods. RESULTS: (1) the average length of service for chromate contact workers was 31 years, and their concentration of WB-Cr was 1.11-4.19 μg/L. They were divided into high and low exposure groups according to the median of 1.72 μg/L. The WB-Cr in the high exposure group (2.17 μg/L) was higher than that in the low exposure group (1.58 μg/L) as well as the reference value of the healthy population (1.74 μg/L, P<0.05); (2) the lung function test showed 10 (45.45%) chromate exposure workers had single or multiple abnormal lung function indexes, among which large airway injury index PEF, and small airway injury indexes MVV and FEF25%-75% were all negatively correlated with WB-Cr (r=-0.53, P<0.05; r=-0.52, P<0.05; r=-0.44, P<0.05); (3) IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNFα in the serum of chromate contact workers were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), and there was a positive correlation between TNFα and WB-Cr, and among these cytokines (P<0.05); (4) the average lymphocyte MNF in chromate contact workers was 1.341%, higher than the reference value of the general population (0.436%, P<0.01). Poisson regression analysis showed MNF in thehigh exposure group was higher than that in the low exposure group, OR (95%CI) =1.323 (1.049, 1.669); (5) multiple linear regression analysis showed that the lung function index FEF25%-75% decreased with the increase of TNFα (P<0.05), no significant correlation was found between other cytokines, MNF and lung function indexes. CONCLUSION Long-term low-level occupational exposure to chromate can cause the decline of lung function, immune inflammatory reaction and genetic damage in workers, in which local or systemic inflammatory response is associated with decreased lung function. Lung function indexes PEF, FEF25%-75% and MVV, serum cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα, and peripheral blood lymphocyte MNF may be used as early health effects biomarkers of chromate exposure.
Biomarkers ; China ; Chromates ; Humans ; Occupational Exposure ; Smoking

BACKGROUND: Chromium is one of the most common metal allergens that cause allergic contact dermatitis. European regulation of chromium (VI) content in cement was first implemented in 2005, and regulation of chromium in leather in 2015. OBJECTIVE: This clinical study was performed to obtain basic data on subjects with allergic contact dermatitis due to chromium in Korea. We investigated the clinical characteristics of patients with chromium allergy among subjects with contact dermatitis who underwent patch tests. METHODS: Patch test data from June 1998 to January 2014 were retrospectively analyzed (n=975; men=290, women=685). Patients who showed positive reactions to potassium dichromate (chromium [+] group; n=58) and who showed positive reactions to other allergens except potassium dichromate (others [+] group; n=497) were identified and the characteristics of both groups were compared. Patients who only reacted to chromium (only chromium group; n=17) were identified, and their clinical characteristics were investigated. The prevalence of chromium allergy was analyzed in each 4-year period to study the changes over time. RESULTS: The sensitization rate of potassium dichromate was 5.9% (n=58) and women comprised 72.4% (n=42) of the chromium (+) group. Hands and feet were more frequently affected in the chromium (+) group (p=0.002 and 0.019, respectively). Occupational dermatitis was significantly less common in the chromium (+) group. Chromium allergy was the most prevalent in patients in their 50s (8.4%). The only chromium group had significantly more number of patients aged 40 years or older (p=0.004). The prevalence of chromium allergy was 13.5% during 1998~2002, but decreased to 5.4% during 2010~2014. CONCLUSION: The characteristics of patients with chromium allergy suggests that chromium exposure in daily activities, including leather exposure, is more relevant than occupational exposure for most patients. The prevalence of chromium allergy has been decreasing in Korea, which may be an effect of voluntary regulation of chromium content in cement by manufacturers.
Allergens ; Chromium* ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Dermatitis, Occupational ; Female ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Korea* ; Occupational Exposure ; Patch Tests ; Potassium Dichromate ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes in lung injury and oxidative stress of sprague-Dawleyy (SD) rats at different times after single intratracheal instillation of potassium dichromate.

METHODSA total of 50 healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into control group and potassium dichromate group. The potassium dichromate group and the control group received 3 ml/kg intratracheal instillation of K2Cr2O7 (1.5 mg/kg) and normal saline, respectively. Rats in these two groups were sacrificed in batches at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after exposure. The changes in the following indices were observed and analyzed: body weight, lung coefficient, alkaline phosphatase (AKP) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in lung homogenate, and reduced glutathione (GSH) in serum.

RESULTSThe rats in the potassium dichromate group had significantly decreased body weight on day 1 and day 3 after exposure than the control group (P<0.05). Lung coefficient increased significantly on day 7 (P<0.05) and kept increasing until the end of the experiment. The potassium dichromate group had a significantly higher activity of AKP than the control group on day 1 and day 7 after exposure (P<0.05). However, the potassium dichromate group had a significantly lower activity of GSH-Px than the control group on day 1 and day 3 after exposure (P<0.05). And the potassium dichromate group had a lower activity of reduced GSH than the control group on day 3 and day 7 after exposure.

CONCLUSIONSingle intratracheal instillation of 1.5 mg/kg potassium dichromate could result in lung inflammatory injury. of SD rats, and the injury is more severe on day 7 after exposure. Body injury is related to antioxidant activity, and the antioxidant.activity cannot recover completely on day 28 after exposure.

Alkaline Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Animals ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Disease Models, Animal ; Glutathione ; blood ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Lung ; physiopathology ; Lung Injury ; chemically induced ; physiopathology ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; Potassium Dichromate ; toxicity ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

BACKGROUND: The oral mucosa is constantly exposed to several irritants and allergens including dental materials, but the role of contact allergy in oral disease is obscure. OBJECTIVE: To analyze positive patch test results in patients with oral diseases and evaluate the clinical relevance of oral diseases with contact allergy to dental materials. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patch test results with dental screening series in 44 patients with oral disease from 2004~2011. RESULTS: Oral diseases included oral lichen planus (54.5%), cheilitis (27.3%), burning mouth syndrome (9.1%), and others (9.1%). Thirty-one of 44 patients (70.5%) had positive reactions to one or more allergens. The most commonly detected allergens were gold sodium thiosulfate (25.0%) and nickel sulfate (25.0%), followed by potassium dichromate (22.7%), cobalt (15.9%), palladium (6.8%), mercury (4.5%), copper (4.5%), and methylhydroquinone (4.5%). Six of 24 patients with oral lichen planus had a symptom in areas adjacent to dental materials and positive patch test reactions to allergens contained in the suspected dental materials. CONCLUSION: Patch tests with dental screening series are worth considering for oral diseases, especially for oral lichen planus.
Allergens ; Burning Mouth Syndrome ; Cheilitis ; Cobalt ; Copper ; Dental Materials ; Gold Sodium Thiosulfate ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Irritants ; Lichen Planus, Oral ; Mass Screening* ; Mouth Mucosa ; Nickel ; Palladium ; Patch Tests* ; Potassium Dichromate ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo establish a method of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for determining the urine oxalate levle in rats with renal calcium oxalate calculus.

METHODSTotally 24 SPF Wistar healthy male rats were randomly divided into control group(n=12)and ethylene glycol (EG) group (n=12). Rats in EG group were administered intragastrically with 2% ammonium chloride (AC)2 ml/rat per day+1% ethylene glycol (EG), along with free access to drinking water.The control group was fed with deionized water, along with the intragastric administration of normal saline (1 ml per day). Twenty-eight days after modelling, the 24-hour urine samples were collected, and the urine oxalic acid levels were determined using HPLC and the results were compared with those of catalytic spectrophotometry using oxidation of methyl. During the HPLC, the samples were separated on Aglient 5TC-C18 (250×4.6 mm,5 Μm), eluted with mixture of methanol (0.1 mol/L) and ammonium acetate (15:85) at 1.2 ml/min, and detected at 314 nm, with the column temperature being 20 ℃.

RESULTSThe standard curves of high and low concentrations of oxalic acid were y=5909.1x+378730, R² =0.9984 and y=7810.5x-16635, R² =0.9967,respectively. The lowest detectable concentration in this method was 5 Μg/ml. The linear high concentration range of oxalate stood at 62.50-2000.00 Μg/ml, and the linear low concentration range of oxalate stood at 6.25-100.00 Μg/ml. Its average recovery was 95.1%, and its within-day and day-to-day precisions were 3.4%-10.8% and 3.8%-9.4%. Both HPLC and catalytic spectrophotometry showed significantly higher urinary oxalic acid concentration and 24 h urine oxalate level in EG group compared with the control group [urinary oxalic acid concentration: (736.35 ± 254.52) Μg/ml vs.(51.56 ± 36.34) Μg/ml,(687.35 ± 234.53) Μg/ml vs.(50.24 ± 42.34) Μg/ml;24 h urine oxalate level: (11.23 ± 4.12)mg vs.(0.87 ± 0.45)mg,(9.89 ± 3.55)mg vs. (0.77 ± 0.65)mg; all P<0.01]. No statistically significant difference was observed in the results of urinary oxalate concentration and 24 h urine oxalate level between HPLC and potassium chromate oxidation of methyl red spectrophotometry (all P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONHPLC is a simple, rapid, and precise method in detecting urine oxalate level in rats with renal calcium oxalate calculus, with high recovery rate.

Acetates ; Animals ; Azo Compounds ; Calcium Oxalate ; Calculi ; Chromates ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Kidney ; Male ; Oxalates ; Potassium Compounds ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Spectrophotometry ; Water

OBJECTIVEThe health surveillance proposal for chromate exposed workers was provided and analyzed on the evidence-based study and then to be improved.

METHODFirstly, the related literatures were searched about liver damage, micronuclei, urinary chromium and hexavalent chromium exposure in Evidence Based Medicine Reviews such as Cochran library, OVID Medline, Web of knowledge in December 2011; and then, these literatures were reviewed in according to inclusion and exclusion criteria; 22 articles totally were retrieved, evaluated and classified in according to the grading standard by Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine.Finally, field epidemiological investigation was further adopted to confirm the efficiency and feasibility of this proposal, combined with cost-effectiveness analysis:the ratio of total cost divided survival years was used to express the cost-effectiveness.

RESULTOnly the glutamic pyruvic transaminase test could not reflect liver damage caused by chromate exposure well; Urinary chromium correlated well with the index reflecting body damage caused by chromate exposure; Binucleated cells micronucleus index in peripheral blood lymphocyte could reflect the genetic damage caused by chromate exposure. As for health economic evaluation of chromate lung cancer, the value of cost/effectiveness was ¥42 321.61 per year that was far below the value of common people (¥252 868.97 per year) .

CONCLUSIONIt was suggested that serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase test should be replaced by liver function test, urinary chromium should be classified as a compulsory index and binucleated cells micronucleus index in peripheral blood lymphocyte should be supplied as a recommended index.

Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Chromates ; urine ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Humans ; Micronucleus Tests ; Occupational Exposure ; Population Surveillance

BACKGROUND: Spectacle contact allergy is not infrequent. The fine scratches on the spectacle frames which may play a role in the sensitization to the potential allergenic components have not been studied. OBJECTIVE: We sought the relationship between the scratches on the spectacle frames and the allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in the Republic of Korea. METHODS: A total of 42 Korean patients with ACD at the spectacle contact sites were enrolled. Their spectacle frames were examined with the dimethylglyoxime (DMG) test and analyzed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Patch tests (thin-layer rapid use epicutaneous test [TRUE tests]) were performed to identify the skin allergens. RESULTS: The DMG-positive spectacle frames were identified in 78.5% of the frames. The SEM results showed that there were more scratches on the skin-contacting parts of the spectacle frames than the non-skin-contacting parts of the same frames. In the EDS findings, the mean nickel content (weight, %) of the spectacle frames was 15.7+/-5.5, and the mean chromium content was 20.3+/-3.4 at the skin-contacting parts. In the TRUE tests, nickel sulphate was the most common allergen (31 cases, 73.8%), and potassium dichromate was the second (9 cases, 21.4%). Three patients presented simultaneous positive reactions with nickel sulphate and potassium dichromate. CONCLUSION: Minor visible and non-visible fine scratches on the spectacle frames may present the provocation factors of the ACD. Nickel sulphate was the most common allergen suspected of provoking the spectacle frame-induced ACD, followed by potassium dichromate.
Chromium ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Nickel ; Oximes ; Patch Tests ; Potassium ; Potassium Dichromate ; Skin ; Spectrum Analysis

Chromic acid is a strong metal acid and acute poisoning is very rare. However, chromic acid causes serious complications, such as skin injuries, as well as renal and hepatic failure. We report on a case of a 47-year-old male who accidentally had chromic acid spilled over his nose and face. For the first few days, he was treated with ascorbic acid and massive hydration. However, after three days, his condition began to worsen. He was treated with hemodialysis for anuria and acute renal failure, and antibiotics for pneumonia. On day 10 of hospitalization, he expired of multi-organ failure. We suggest firm control and close supervision of chromic acid in the work place, and, considering severe complications of chromic acid, we propose a nearly and aggressive treatment.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Anuria ; Ascorbic Acid ; Chromates ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Liver Failure ; Male ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Nose ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Organization and Administration ; Pneumonia ; Renal Dialysis ; Skin ; Workplace

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of combined occupational exposure of chromium and iron on erythrocyte metabolism, and the possible mechanism.

METHODSA total of 115 chromate production workers were selected in a chemical factory of Jinan as exposure group, Dec, 2008, and 60 healthy residents from a community which was far away from the factory were enrolled as control group. Environmental concentrations of chromium and iron were collected by filter membrane sampling and determined. The peripheral blood of subjects were collected for determination of chromium, iron, copper in whole blood and folate, vitamin B₁₂ in serum, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and correlation analysis was conducted.

RESULTSThe median (quartile interval) concentration of air-chromium and air-iron in workplace were 9.0 (10.5) and 11.2 (10.1) µg/m³, respectively, which were significantly higher than that of the control (0.1 (0.1) and 7.2 (2.5) µg/m³) (all P values < 0.01). Blood-chromium and blood-iron of the exposed group were 15.5 (14.1) µg/L and (895.1 ± 90.2) mg/L, which were significantly higher than the counterpart of the control (3.6(2.0) µg/L, (563.7 ± 49.3) mg/L) (all P values < 0.01). Serum folate ((6.9 ± 2.5) µg/L), serum vitamin B₁₂ ((396.4 ± 177.0) µg/L) and blood copper ((777.6 ± 103.5) µg/L) of the exposed group were all significantly lower comparing to the control group ((558.0 ± 330.8), (8.1 ± 3.8), (812.1 ± 94.6) µg/L) (all P values < 0.05). The relationships between blood chromium and serum folate, serum vitamin B₁₂ were statistical significant (r = -0.319 and -0.293, P < 0.01). Both serum vitamin B₁₂ and blood copper correlated with mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (r = -0.223, -0.242, -0.261, -0.292, all P values < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCombined chromium and iron exposure existed in the workplace. Adverse effect of Chromium on human erythrocyte may via folate and vitamin B₁₂ metabolism, while iron may via copper metabolism.

Air Pollutants, Occupational ; Chromates ; adverse effects ; Chromium ; adverse effects ; Copper ; blood ; Erythrocytes ; metabolism ; Folic Acid ; blood ; Humans ; Iron ; adverse effects ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis ; Vitamin B 12 ; blood

Acute Kidney Injury ; etiology ; Adult ; Burns, Chemical ; complications ; surgery ; Chromates ; toxicity ; Humans ; Male ; Young Adult