BIOCHEMICAL MARKERS OF BASEMENT-MEMBRANE DISTURBANCES AND OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO HYDROCARBONS AND MIXED-SOLVENTS

To investigate possible mechanisms of hydrocarbon or solvent-induced r enal damage, we studied three groups of healthy men employed in a UK m anufacturing plant. Group 1 (n=111) were occupationally exposed to hyd rocarbon-based paints, Group 2 (n=100) were occupationally exposed to petroleum-based mineral oils, and Group 3 (n=92) had low background oc cupational exposure to hydrocarbons. Occupational atmospheric exposure levels for toluene, xylene, butanol and oil mist around the time of t his study were within UK permissible limits. Group 4 (controls) were m ales with no known occupational hydrocarbon or solvent exposure (n=108 ). Circulating laminin antibodies and the auto-antibody implicated in Goodpasture's syndrome (anti-GEM) were measured, as were serum laminin , a basement membrane turnover marker, and soluble E-selectin, an endo thelial activation marker. Group 1 had a significantly greater proport ion of subjects with high levels of both anti-laminin antibodies and s oluble E-selectin; Group 2 had significantly more subjects with raised anti-GEM antibodies, laminin and soluble E-selectin. Mean levels of s oluble E-selectin were increased in Groups 1 and 2. In a small but sig nificant proportion of these workers exposed to hydrocarbons/mixed sol vents there are alterations both to basement membranes, resulting in a utoantibody production, and to overlying vascular endothelial cells.