Kim Yang Jee, Cho Yoon Hee, Paek Domyung, Chung Hai Won
School of Public Health and Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2004 Dec;67(23-24):1915-22. doi: 10.1080/15287390490513319.
Human exposure to benzene is derived occupationally from the petrochemical and petroleum refining industries. This study was performed to determine whether the frequencies of chromosome aberrations in workers exposed to low levels of benzene in a petroleum refining factory were elevated compared to an unexposed control group. The study population was comprised of 178 exposed workers and 36 unexposed workers. The frequencies of chromatid deletions and total chromosome aberrations in workers exposed to benzene were significantly higher compared to the unexposed control group. The frequency of total chromosome aberration was 4.20 per 500 metaphase cells in the exposed workers, whereas the frequency was 2.24 per 500 metaphase cells in the unexposed control group. The frequencies of total chromosome aberrations were significantly associated with benzene concentration after adjusting for confounding variables such as age, smoking status, and alcohol intake. The frequencies of chromosome aberrations were significantly increased in workers with low white blood cell counts (below 4000 cells/mm3) compared to those with high white blood cell counts (above 4000 cells/mm3). A reduced white blood cell count (below 4000/mm3) is suggestive of chronic exposure to benzene. In conclusion chronic benzene exposure and preclinical signs, such as reduced white blood cell counts, may be monitored by chromosome aberrations analysis.
人类接触苯主要源于职业性接触，来自石化和石油精炼行业。本研究旨在确定与未接触苯的对照组相比，石油精炼厂中接触低水平苯的工人染色体畸变频率是否升高。研究人群包括178名接触苯的工人和36名未接触苯的工人。与未接触苯的对照组相比，接触苯的工人染色单体缺失和总染色体畸变频率显著更高。接触苯的工人中，每500个中期细胞的总染色体畸变频率为4.20，而未接触苯的对照组中该频率为每500个中期细胞2.24。在调整了年龄、吸烟状况和酒精摄入量等混杂变量后，总染色体畸变频率与苯浓度显著相关。与白细胞计数高（高于4000个细胞/mm³）的工人相比，白细胞计数低（低于4000个细胞/mm³）的工人染色体畸变频率显著增加。白细胞计数降低（低于4000/mm³）提示长期接触苯。总之，慢性苯接触和临床前体征，如白细胞计数降低，可通过染色体畸变分析进行监测。
