RESUMO
Organic solvents are widely used in different industries and occupations. They have a central role in production and use of paints. This study was carried out to evaluate the hepatic damage due to solvent exposure. In this cross-sectional study 62 painters were selected as cases with at least one year exposure to solvents and 54 employees as controls with no exposure. Demographic and clinical information collected via questionnaire and physical examination and the results of liver function tests, [ALT, AST, ALP], were compared in the two groups. The mean levels of ALT, AST, and ALP were not significantly different between cases and controls; however the mean levels of ALT and AST in individuals with high exposure were significantly more elevated than in persons with low exposures, [subgroups of cases]. We concluded that routine hepatic enzyme tests are not suitable for early detection of hepatic damage in workers exposed to solvents and the use of more sensitive tests should be considered