Haemoglobin adducts and specific immunoglobulin G in humans as biomarkers of exposure to hexahydrophthalic anhydride

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine whether haemoglobin adducts Hb of hexahydrophthalic anhydride HHPA and HHPA specific immunoglobulin G IgG can be used as biomarkers of exposure to HHPA. The exposures of HHPA in 10 workers were determined from the mean urinary hexahydrophthalic acid HHP acid levels range 76-3300 nmol HHP acid mmol-1 creatinine during a period of 4 weeks. Blood was collected at the end of the period and Hb-HHPA adducts were analysed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The Hb-HHPA adduct levels ranged from 0.45 to 24.7 pmol g-1 Hb. There was a close correlation between the urinary HHP acid levels and the amount of Hb-HHPA adducts r = 0.87 . One day exposures to HHPA and methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride MHHPA in 142 workers were determined from analysis of urinary HHP acid range 0-3300 nmol HHP acid mmol-1 creatinine and methylhexahydrophthalic acid MHHP acid; range 0-1700 nmol MHHP acid mmol-1 creatinine. HHPA specific IgG were analysed in the 142 workers with an ELISA method. The optical density for HHPA specific IgG varied between 0 and 1.25. There was no statistically significant correlation between the sum of the urinary HHP acid and MHHP acid and the HHPA specific IgG r = 0.12; p = 0.14 . Thus, Hb-HHPA adducts seem to be applicable as biomarkers of exposure to HHPA while the possible role of HHPA specific IgG as an indicator of exposure has to be further evaluated.

Keywords::

• Hexahydrophthalic Anhydride, Methylhexahydrophthalic Anhydride, Haemoglobin Adducts, Specific Igg, Biological Monitoring