Proliferative response of peripheral blood lymphocytes and lymphocyte subpopulations in n-Hexane, toluen, and methyl ethyl ketone co-exposed workers

To estimate the quantitative relation between chronic co-exposure to airbor ne n-hexane, toluen, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and various markers of immun e function such as proliferative response of peripheral blood lymphocytes a nd lymphocyte subpopulations, a group of workers employed in a shoe factory were examined and compared with the unexposed controls. A significant incr ease was observed in the proliferative response of the peripheral lymphocyt es to 2.5 and 5 mu g PHA in the exposed group compared with that of the con trol group. There was no significant change in the percentage of circulatin g CD3(+), CD4(+) CD8(+), CD19(+), CD16(+) lymphocytes even in those workers with 3.3-fold higher mean levels of urine 2,5-hexanedione (2,5-Hxdn) and a pproximately twofold higher mean levels of urine hippuric acid (HA) as comp ared to controls. No difference was also observed between the mean granuloc yte, monocyte, lymphocyte: percentages of the groups, but a significant inc rease was observed in mean serum C3 level of the workers. Our results sugge st that while lymphocyte subpopulations and leucocyte percentages are not a ffected, the proliferative response of the peripheral lymphocytes is stimul ated after chronic co-exposure to n-hexane, toluen and MEK at the defined l evels. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.