Urinary porphyrin profiles as a biomarker of mercury exposure: Studies on dentists with occupational exposure to mercury vapor

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/15287399309531791· OSTI ID:7074768

Woods, J S ^[1]; Martin, M D ^[2]; Naleway, C A ^[3]; Echeverria, D ^[4]

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1. Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States) Battelle Seattle Research Center, WA (United States)
2. Univ. of Washington, Chicago, IL (United States)
3. American Dental Association Health Foundation, Chicago, IL (United States)
4. Battelle Seattle Research Center, Seattle, WA (United States)

Porphyrins are formed as intermediates in the biosynthesis of heme. In humans and other mammals, porphyrins with eight, seven, six, five, and four carboxyl groups are excreted in the urine in a well-established pattern. Mercury selectively alters porphyrin metabolism in kidney proximal tubule cells, leading to an altered urinary porphyrin excretion pattern. Previous studies in rats have shown that changes in the urinary porphyrin profile during exposure to mercury as methylmercury hydroxide are uniquely characterized by highly elevated (20- to 30-fold) levels of four- and five-carboxyl porphyrins and by the excretion of an atypical porphyrin ([open quotes]precoproporphyrin[close quotes]), which elutes on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) approximately midway between penta- and coproporphyrins. Changes in the urinary porphyrin profile are highly correlated with the dose and duration of mercury exposure and persist for up to 20 wk following cessation of mercury treatment. In the present studies, the utility of urinary porphyrin profile changes as a biomarker of mercury exposure in human subjects was evaluated. Urinary porphyrin concentrations were measured in dentists participating in the Health Screening Programs conducted during the 1991 and 1992 annual meetings of the American Dental Association dentists with no detectable urinary mercury, mean concentrations of urinary porphyrins were within the established normal ranges for male human subjects. 23 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 7074768
• Journal Information: Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health; (United States), Vol. 40:2-3; ISSN 0098-4108
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
MERCURY
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PORPHYRINS
BIOLOGICAL MARKERS
EXCRETION
METABOLISM
URINE
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BODY FLUIDS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CLEARANCE
ELEMENTS
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
METALS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
WASTES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
550500 - Metabolism