Effects of Mercury Vapour Exposure at Low Concentrations on Urinary Activity of N-Acetyl-Beta-D-Glucosaminidase

Nobuo ISHIHARA

doi:10.1539/joh.42.27

Nobuo ISHIHARA

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Keywords: Mercury vapour, NAG activity, Urinary protein, Urinary mercury, Mercury, Plasma

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2000 Volume 42 Issue 1 Pages 27-30

DOI https://doi.org/10.1539/joh.42.27

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Published: 2000 Received: April 14, 1999 Available on J-STAGE: April 07, 2006 Accepted: September 22, 1999 Advance online publication: - Revised: -
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Date of correction: April 07, 2006 Reason for correction: - Correction: CITATION Details: Wrong : 1) Ishihara N, Urushiyama K. Longitudinal study of workers exposed to mercury vapour at low concentrations: time course of inorganic and organic mercury concentrations in urine, blood, and hair. Occup Environ Med 1994; 51: 660-662.
2) Buchet JP, Roels H, Bernard A, Lauwerys R. Assessment of renal function of workers exposed to inorganic lead, cadmium or mercury vapor. J Occup Med 1980; 22: 741-750.
3) Stonard MD, Chater BV, Duffield DP, Nevitt Al, O''Sullivan IJ, Steel GT. An evaluation of renal function in workers occupationally exposed to mercury vapour. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 1983; 52: 177-189.
4) Roels H, Gennart JP, Lauwerys R, Buchet JP, Malchaire J, Bernard A. Surveillance of workers exposed to mercury vapour: Validation of a previously proposed biological threshold limit value for mercury concentration in urine. Am J Ind Med 1985; 7: 45-71.
5) Himeno S, Watanabe C, Suzuki T. Urinary biochemical changes in workers exposed to mercury vapor. Ind Health 1986; 24: 151-155.
6) Barregard L, Hultberg B, Schuetz A, Saellsten G. Enzymuria in workers exposed to inorganic mercury. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 1988; 61: 65-69.
7) Meyer BR, Fischbein A, Rosenman K, Lerman Y, Drayer D, Reidenberg MM. Increased urinary enzyme excretion in workers exposed to nephrotoxic chemicals. Am J Med 1984; 76: 989-998.
8) Flynn FV. Assessment of renal function: selected developments. Clin Biochem 1990; 23: 49-54.
9) Langworth S, Elinder C-G, Goethe C-J, Vesterberg O. Biological monitoring of environmental and occupational exposure to mercury. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 1991; 63: 161-167.
10) Langworth S, Elinder CG, Sundquist KG, Vesterberg O. Renal and immunological effects of occupational exposure to inorganic mercury. Br J Ind Med 1992; 49:394-401.
11) Ishihara N, Urushiyama K, Suzuki T. Inorganic and organic mercury in blood, urine and hair of low level mercury vapour exposure. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 1977; 40: 249-253.
12) Magos L. Selective atomic-absorption determination of inorganic mercury and methylmercury in undigested biological samples. Analyst 1971; 96: 841-853.
13) Noto A, Ogawa Y, Mori S. Simple rapid spectrophotometry of urinary N-Acetyl-beta-Dglucosaminidase, with use of a new chromogenic substrate. Clin Chem 1983; 29: 1713-1716.
14) Bradford MM. A rapid and sensitive method for the guantitation of microgram quantities of protein using the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Chem 1976; 72: 248-252.
15) Wallenstein S, Zucker CL, Fleiss JL. Some statistical methods useful in circulation research. Circ Res 1980; 47: 1-9.
16) Imura Y, Shimada I, Ohnuki Y, Kawai T, Sakamoto Y. Basic considerations for the determination of urinary NAG activity and the changes of the enzyme activity in diabetic patients. Jpn J Clin Pathol 1983; Suppl 56: 79-89 (in Japanese).
17) Wellwood JM, Ellis BG, Price RG et al. Urinary N-Acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase in patients with renal disease. BMJ 1975; iii: 408-411.

Right : 1) Ishihara N, Urushiyama K. Longitudinal study of workers exposed to mercury vapour at low concentrations: time course of inorganic and organic mercury concentrations in urine, blood, and hair. Occup Environ Med 1994; 51: 660-662.
2) Buchet JP, Roels H, Bernard A, Lauwerys R. Assessment of renal function of workers exposed to inorganic lead, cadmium or mercury vapor. J Occup Med 1980; 22: 741-750.
3) Stonard MD, Chater BV, Duffield DP, Nevitt Al, O'Sullivan IJ, Steel GT. An evaluation of renal function in workers occupationally exposed to mercury vapour. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 1983; 52: 177-189.
4) Roels H, Gennart JP, Lauwerys R, Buchet JP, Malchaire J, Bernard A. Surveillance of workers exposed to mercury vapour: Validation of a previously proposed biological threshold limit value for mercury concentration in urine. Am J Ind Med 1985; 7: 45-71.
5) Himeno S, Watanabe C, Suzuki T. Urinary biochemical changes in workers exposed to mercury vapor. Ind Health 1986; 24: 151-155.
6) Barregard L, Hultberg B, Schuetz A, Saellsten G. Enzymuria in workers exposed to inorganic mercury. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 1988; 61: 65-69.
7) Meyer BR, Fischbein A, Rosenman K, Lerman Y, Drayer D, Reidenberg MM. Increased urinary enzyme excretion in workers exposed to nephrotoxic chemicals. Am J Med 1984; 76: 989-998.
8) Flynn FV. Assessment of renal function: selected developments. Clin Biochem 1990; 23: 49-54.
9) Langworth S, Elinder C-G, Goethe C-J, Vesterberg O. Biological monitoring of environmental and occupational exposure to mercury. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 1991; 63: 161-167.
10) Langworth S, Elinder CG, Sundquist KG, Vesterberg O. Renal and immunological effects of occupational exposure to inorganic mercury. Br J Ind Med 1992; 49:394-401.
11) Ishihara N, Urushiyama K, Suzuki T. Inorganic and organic mercury in blood, urine and hair of low level mercury vapour exposure. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 1977; 40: 249-253.
12) Magos L. Selective atomic-absorption determination of inorganic mercury and methylmercury in undigested biological samples. Analyst 1971; 96: 841-853.
13) Noto A, Ogawa Y, Mori S. Simple rapid spectrophotometry of urinary N-Acetyl-beta-Dglucosaminidase, with use of a new chromogenic substrate. Clin Chem 1983; 29: 1713-1716.
14) Bradford MM. A rapid and sensitive method for the guantitation of microgram quantities of protein using the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Chem 1976; 72: 248-252.
15) Wallenstein S, Zucker CL, Fleiss JL. Some statistical methods useful in circulation research. Circ Res 1980; 47: 1-9.
16) Imura Y, Shimada I, Ohnuki Y, Kawai T, Sakamoto Y. Basic considerations for the determination of urinary NAG activity and the changes of the enzyme activity in diabetic patients. Jpn J Clin Pathol 1983; Suppl 56: 79-89 (in Japanese).
17) Wellwood JM, Ellis BG, Price RG et al. Urinary N-Acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase in patients with renal disease. BMJ 1975; iii: 408-411.

Date of correction: April 07, 2006 Reason for correction: - Correction: PDF FILE Details: -

Abstract

Effects of Mercury Vapour Exposure at Low Concentrations on Urinary Activity of N-Acetyl-Beta-D-Glucosaminidase: Nobuo ISHIHARA. Research Centre for Occupational Disease, Tohoku Rosai Hospital—Effects of exposure to mercury vapour less than 0.02 mg Hg/m³ on urinary N-Acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity were studied in seven Japanese workers from 1991 to 1997. According to the record of periodical medical examinations they have been engaged in mercury work since 1987 at the latest. Mercury concentrations in urine, plasma, erythrocytes, and hair and the urinary protein concentration did not change significantly during the course of the study. Urinary NAG activity, however, increased significantly in 1996 notwithstanding the absence of the significant correlations between NAG activity and mercury concentrations in urine and plasma, and the increased NAG level was maintained up to 1997. All of the present subjects were less than 57 years old in 1997. The effect of aging on urinary NAG activity was therefore excluded, and the increase in urinary NAG activity should be due to the occupational mercury vapour exposure. As in the case of mercury concentrations in blood, urinary NAG activity also should be one of the useful indicators of renal effects of mercury so long as data for before work and/ or just after the start of mercury work are available.

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