EFFECTS OF OCCUPATIONAL AND NONOCCUPATIONAL FACTORS ON LIVER-FUNCTIONTESTS IN WORKERS EXPOSED TO SOLVENT MIXTURES

A total of 368 workers from six paint-manufacturing factories particip ated in this study. The workers were classified according to type of e xposure: direct, intermittent, and no exposure. The workers' liver-fun ction tests were influenced greatly by gender, hepatitis B, alcohol co nsumption, and body mass index. Both the serum concentration and the o dds of abnormality of total serum bile acids were elevated among the d irectly exposed group. The authors concluded that analysis of covarian ce should take into account occupational and nonoccupational factors o n liver-function tests to avoid any errors. Total serum bile acids als o indicated liver dysfunction from solvent exposure.