OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO LEAD, KIDNEY-FUNCTION TESTS, AND BLOOD-PRESSURE

In the present study we examined sensitive biochemical markers of kidn ey function and damage in 166 workers exposed to lead and in 60 contro l workers. The objective was to investigate the chronic renal toxicity of lead and its possible correlation with arterial pressure. Diastoli c arterial pressure was higher in the exposed group (p < 0.05), but th e two groups did not differ in systolic pressure. Median activity of u rinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase was higher in the exposed group (p < 0.001), and correlated with blood lead levels (p < 0.001) and du ration of exposure (p < 0.001), but not with arterial pressure. The ot her indicators studied, gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase and alanine-amin opeptidase activity, urine albumin, and total urine protein, were not higher than in the control group and were not correlated with blood le ad, duration of exposure, or arterial pressure. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, I nc.