[Usefulness of immunologic and protein determinations for assessment of exposure to mercury].

The count of lymphocytes, lymphocytes T (CD 3+), lymphocytes T-helper (CD 4+), T-suppressor (CD 8+) and NK-cells (CD 16+) as well as immunoglobulins A, D, G, M, complements C3c and C4, alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin and transferrin were detected in males exposed to mercury vapours and in males of the control groups. The shift time weight average (TWA) of mercury in ambient air was 0,028 mg x m-3. Mean mercury concentration was from 0 to 240 micrograms x 1(-1) in urine of the study group and from 0-30 micrograms x 1(-1) in blood. Stimulation of lymphocytes system, manifested by an increase number of lymphocytes T, T-helper and T-suppressor in the peripheral blood was observed. Higher increase of T-suppressor cells than T-helper populations was the case of decreased value of the T-helper/T-suppressor ratio by 20.5% (p < 0.05) in workers exposed below 10 or by 21% (p < 0.05) in workers exposed over 10 years. Decrease of immunoglobulin A, G and M concentration in serum of workers exposed to mercury vapours over 20 years was also observed. The concentrations of IgG, C3c, C4 and determined acute phase proteins in serum of exposed subjects did not differ from that in the non-exposed subjects.