Measurement of mental physical health status utilizing biophysical and psychological methods

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The aim of the present studies was to develop appropriate scientific methods to measure mental and physical health status in a general population. The subjects were healthy Japanese workers in a medium-sizad plant. As for relevant environmental factors, we got information on the subjects' lifestyles such as smoking, alcohol drinking, exercise, and working hours. We utilized various established questionnaires to evaluate mental health status, including General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), Life event scale, Daily hassles scale, and Job strain scale. We also used various experimental methods to assess biophysical health atatus including NK cell activity, total IgE level, chromosome alterations in peripheral lymphocytes, DNA damage caused by active oxygens in leukocytes, and urinary mutagenic activity. Some outstanding genetic polymorphisms such as those in low Km aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH2) genes were assessed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coupled with digestions by resriction enzymes. A significant association between NK cell activity and job strains was suggested. Urinary mutagenic activity was significantly correlated with smoking and other lifestyles. We established the method to accurately measure 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels, typical DNA damage caused by active oxygens, using an oxygen-free DNA extracting system. Habitual alcohol drinkers lacking the ALDH2 activity had significantly higher chromosome damage levels than nonhabitual drinkers or habitual drinkers with active ALDH2. We also established the method to detect the polymorphism in glutathione-s-transferase mu type (GSTM1).