Biochemical effects of vinyl chloride monomer on the liver of occupationally exposed workers

We investigated the effects of vinyl chloride monomer exposure on the liver of 86 workers by measuring beta-glucuronidase, arylsulfatase A, adenosine deaminase, 5'-nucleotidase and routine liver function enzymes in the sera of the workers. In 21 of them, three or more of these parameters were raised, with a significant decrease in the level of blood glutathione and a significant increase in the enzyme activity level of glutathione S-transferase. Of these 21 workers, 14 had fatty liver infiltration, 8 of whom were also suffering from liver enlargement. Also, 4 workers had liver enlargement without fatty infiltration and 3 had enlarged spleens. The study highlights the need for vigilance in environmental monitoring and medical surveillance of workers exposed to this chemical

Tryptophan metabolism in protein-calorie malnutrition-kwashorkor

The functional capacity of the tryptophan-niacin pathway was studied in kwashiorkor patients presented without and with dermatosis. This was done in an attempt to correlate between the biochemical anomaly and the degree of severity of the disease. A correlation did exist between the severity of the disease and the excretion patterns of tryptophan metabolites