PREEXISTENCE OF CHRONIC TUBULAR DAMAGE IN CASES OF RENAL-CELL CANCER AFTER LONG AND HIGH EXPOSURE TO TRICHLOROETHYLENE

Substantially more cases of tubular damage were found among renal cell carcinoma patients who had been exposed to high levels of trichloroet hylene over many years than among renal cell carcinoma patients who ha d not been exposed to trichloroethylene. This supports the hypothesis (Goeptar et al. 1995) that chronic tubular damage may be regarded as a necessary precondition for trichloroethylene to exert a nephrocarcino genic effect. The findings also indicate that the urine protein patter ns identified with SDS-PAGE may represent a valuable parameter for eff ect biomonitoring of persons exposed to high levels of trichloroethyle ne over many years.