Erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities in coal miners from three French regions.

This study investigated whether differences in the prevalence and severity of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) between three coal mines could be related to differences in oxidative stress exposure as evaluated in vivo through red-blood-cell antioxidant enzyme activities. Blood samples were obtained from 229 miners selected according to their occupation and their pneumoconiotic status. The following biomarkers were evaluated: erythrocyte catalase, Cu2+/Zn2+ superoxide dismutase (Cu2+/Zn2+ SOD), and glutathione peroxidase activities. Antioxidant enzyme activities did not differ significantly between the group of surface workers in Lorraine and the group of underground miners without CWP in Lorraine and in the other coal mines. Erythrocyte Cu2+/Zn2+ SOD activity was slightly decreased in the group of active underground miners with simple pneumoconiosis as compared with the group of miners without CWP in Nord/Pas-de-Calais. No effect was seen between retired miners at different stages of CWP. Our findings indicate that differences in the prevalence and severity of CWP do not seem to be related to various oxidative activities of coal dust particles, at least as reflected by measurements of antioxidant enzyme activities in circulating erythrocytes in this study.

Catalase and superoxide dismutase activities as biomarkers of oxidative stress in workers exposed to mercury vapors.

For this article we investigated the role of three blood antioxidant enzyme activities and total antioxidant status (TAS) as biological markers of oxidative stress in workers exposed to mercury (Hg(o)) vapors. Twenty-two female workers took part in the study. The examination included a questionnaire on age, educational level, occupational history, actual health status, previous accidents and diseases, smoking and dietary habits, and alcohol consumption. Blood and urine sampling for biological analyses completed this examination. The workers were classified into three subgroups according to their creatinine-corrected Hg concentration in urine. Blood antioxidant enzyme activities and TAS were compared between groups with nonparametric distribution-free methods. A significant difference existed in catalase activity and a slight, but not significant, difference existed in Cu2+/Zn2+ superoxide dismutase (Cu2+/Zn2+ SOD) activity between the three groups. No differences were observed in either the glutathione peroxidase activity or the TAS between these groups. Catalase and Cu2+/Zn2+ SOD activities were increased in the groups of workers with higher creatinine-corrected urinary Hg concentrations when compared with the group of lower creatinine-corrected urinary Hg concentrations. Catalase activity was positively correlated with the creatinine-corrected concentration of Hg in urine, and Cu2+/Zn2+ SOD activity was slightly correlated with the creatinine-corrected concentration of Hg in urine. The role of erythrocyte catalase and Cu2+/Zn2+ SOD activities we have measured is in agreement with the hypothesis of the involvement of reactive oxygen species production as an important event in chronic exposure to Hg(o) vapors in humans. In spite of the small size of the sample, these results indicate that erythrocyte catalase and Cu2+/Zn2+ SOD activities could be considered as markers of biological effect in workers exposed to Hg(o) vapors.

Blood antioxidant enzymes as markers of exposure or effect in coal miners.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if blood Cu++/Zn++ superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and total plasma antioxidant activities could be markers of biological activity resulting from exposure to respirable coal mine dust in active miners, and of pneumoconiosis in retired miners. METHODS: Blood samples were randomly obtained from active surface workers (n = 30) and underground miners (n = 34), and from retired miners without (n = 21), and with (n = 33) pneumoconiosis. Antioxidant enzyme activities and total plasma antioxidants were measured in erythrocytes and plasma. Non-parametric tests were completed by analyses of covariance to compare antioxidants between groups, taking into account potential confounding factors (age, smoking history (pack-years)). RESULTS: Erythrocyte Cu++/Zn++ superoxide dismutase activity was significantly higher in the group of underground miners than the group of surface workers. The differences in total plasma antioxidants and plasma glutathione peroxidase activity between both groups were related to age. Glutathione peroxidase activity increased in the plasma of retired miners with pneumoconiosis, compared with retired miners without pneumoconiosis. No differences were found either in erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities or in total plasma antioxidants between the groups of retired miners without and with pneumoconiosis. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, erythrocyte Cu++/Zn++ superoxide dismutase activity may be considered as a marker of effect of respirable coal mine dust in exposed workers. This result is in agreement with the hypothesis that reactive oxygen species are involved in cell injury induced by coal mine dust, and may be predictive of the degree of inflammation and pneumoconiosis induced by coal mine dust. The increase in glutathione peroxidase activity in the plasma of retired miners with pneumoconiosis may be the result of a response to the increasing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production due to the disease process.