ABSTRACT
The effect of painting on alcoholic liver dysfunction was investigated. The subjects were male workers engaged in small-scale enterprises under contract to with heavy industries. Painting involved metal cleaning and painting, and the air concentrations of organic solvents were frequently high. The study population consisted of 1,157 male workers over 40 yr of age. Of them, 85 were painters engaged for a mean duration of 20.9 +/- 9.8 yr. There was no significant difference in GOT and GPT between painters who did not drink and non-painters who did not drink, but GOT and GPT were significantly higher in painters drinking several days a week than in non-painters. A past history of hepatitis affected GOT, GPT and gamma-GTP. Painting, daily alcohol consumption, drinking frequency and body mass index affected gamma-GTP. A questionnaire survey of hepatitis was also conducted in 206 male workers (age range 18-67 yr). Of them, 134 were painters (mean duration of painting, 16.8 +/- 10.4 yr). This questionnaire survey showed that 13 painters (9.6% of the painters) and two non-painters (2.6% of the non-painters) had a history of hepatitis. Of the 13 painters, five painters had a history of hepatitis C and four had a history of alcoholic hepatitis. All of these 13 painters had the habit of drinking. This study indicated that painting had little effect on the liver function in painters not drinking, but increased alcoholic liver dysfunction in painters with the drinking habit.