Studies on the evaluation of health effects caused by toxic substances containing lead

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We investigated to evaluate the individual differences of health effects caused by hazardous substances such as lead and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). First, we studied the relationship between polymorphism of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) and lead-induced porphyrin metabolic disorders in about 200 workers occupationally exposed to lead. Urinary concentration of delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and erythrocyte ALAD inhibition were used as biological parameters of health effect by lead. However, we could not find a significant relation between polymorphism of ALAD enzyme and urinary concentration of ALA in the lead-exposed workers.Secondly, we investigated the relationship between genetic polymorphism of metabolic enzymes such as cytochrome P450 (CYP1A1) and glutathione s-transferase (GSTM1)and DNA adducts levels in lymphocytes of 51 cigarette smokers and 65 coke oven workers who are exposed to carcinogen PAHs. The measurement of DNA adducts is considered a useful indicator for environmental carcinogen exposure monitoring in humans. The data obtained demonstrated that the level of DNA adducts in lymphocytes can be influenced by not only level of exposure to PAHs but also genetic polymorphism of CYP1A1, indicating that DNA adducts levels were higher in Val/Val type of CYP1A1 than in I1/I1 and II/Val types of CYP1A1.