Evaluation of recent thymic output function in benzene-exposed workers / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the content of signal joint T-cell receptor excision DNA circles signal joint T-cell receptor excision DNA circles (sjTRECs) within peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), thereby to infer the level of naive T cells and the recent thymic output function in benzene-exposed workers.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Quantitative detection of sjTRECs in DNA of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 11 normal individuals and 62 benzene-exposed workers were performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and TaqMan technique.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median value of sjTRECs copies/1,000 PBMCs was 7.81 in normal individuals whereas it was 2.56 copies/1 000 PBMCs in age-unadjusted benzene-exposed workers (P < 0.01). And its levels were obviously different between two different age groups that in 30-year-old group (1.76 copies/1,000 PBMCs, n = 23) was less than <or= 30-years-old group (3.19 copies/1,000 PBMCs, n = 39, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Benzene exposure may influence the recent thymic output function, and the sjTRECs levels may relate with the age of benzene-exposed workers.</p>