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Biomedical subjects

P Apostoli

Publications and source records attributed to P Apostoli.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

[Occupational contact dermatitis: analysis of clinical case reports, 1972-1985].

The hospital records of 105 subjects with professional dermatitis, admitted at the Institute of Occupational Health of Verona between 1972 and 1985, were reviewed. Work sectors, chemicals, sites of dermatitis, latency and age of onset were evaluated. Contact allergic dermatitis were 80% while irritative ones were 10%. Metal-, construction- and tannery workers were more frequently involved. The most common causes were salts of heavy metals. The authors discuss results and remark the need of standardization in diagnostic procedures.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Toxicological and analytical lists: chromium and its compounds].

The main aspects of occupational exposure to chromium and chromium compounds are surveyed. Special attention is paid to the toxic action of this metal at the different target organs. The nutritional aspect of CrIII is examined preliminarily, and data detailing the metal contents in water and food are provided. As far the different working processes that entail occupational exposure to chromium are concerned, hygienic and environmental problems are discussed while identifying the average environment exposure to the different chemical forms of chromium (CrIII, CrIV, soluble and not soluble), as a function of the worker's tasks, and the relevant human response (total human Cr). Different hygienic and environmental standards in force in various countries and applicable to chromium compounds are compared. Additional information is given on the main aspects of chromium metabolism (absorption, distribution, excretion), and on the prevailing toxic actions, with specific reference to cancerogenesis. As far as biologic monitoring of the exposed people is concerned, the significance of Cr-U as dose-exposure indicator is discussed, also in the light of a critical review of the reference values. The report describes a series of analytical methods for the identification of chromium in aqueous and biologic matrices. The problems connected with health monitoring and fitness for work are eventually covered.

Chromium↗
PubMed1987

Kinetics of platinum in cancer patients treated with cisplatin at different doses.

In previous work the authors observed that platinum (free and bound) does not seem to accumulate in the peripheral compartment following the administration of two courses of cisplatin (cis-DDP) therapy (65 mg/m2) in patients with mammary and ovarian cancer. The aim of the present work was to study the disposition of platinum (Pt) after a higher dose of cis-DDP, to verify the rate of free drug penetration into the tissue and to observe changes in protein binding relative to the dose. cis-DDP, at the dose of 100 mg/m2, was administered i.v. over 60 min to patients with lung cancer. Serum and urine were collected before infusion and at various intervals afterwards. The plasma and urine levels of Pt were determined by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry, using a Varian model AAS 1475-GTA 95. Serum levels were analysed by a two-compartment open pharmacokinetic model. After the higher dose there was a substantial increase in central volume Pt and slight increase in peripheral volume Pt as compared with levels observed previously at the lower dose. In some subjects receiving high doses elimination half-life decreased and total body clearance increased, while in others these kinetic parameters were unchanged in comparison with those observed after a low dose. Protein binding seems to influence the persistence of platinum in the vascular space, modifying to a minor degree tissue penetration of the drug.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Occupational styrene exposure: environmental and biological monitoring.

Occupational exposure to styrene was studied by environmental and biological monitoring in 22 workers employed in a fiberglass reinforced plastic factory. The mean environmental styrene concentration in individual workplaces ranged from 120 to 684 microliter/l. Blood styrene, which was tested at the end of the work shift, ranged from 450 to 3700 micrograms/l. Urinary mandelic and phenylglyoxylic acid, which were determined at the end of the work shift, ranged from 133 to 2100 and from 107 to 685 mg/l, respectively. Environmental styrene exposure was better correlated with styrenemia than with mandelicuria and phenylglyoxylicuria considered either individually or together. The ratio between environmental and blood styrene showed that styrenemia was, on average, 3.3-4.9 times higher than environmental styrene concentration.

Air↗
PubMed1983

Decline of blood and alveolar toluene concentration following two accidental human poisonings.

In two workers admitted to hospital because of a coma due to an accidental occupational exposure to a mixture of solvents, the level of toluene was respectively 823-1122 micrograms/l in the blood and 53-38 micrograms/l in the alveolar air on the second day of admission (36 h after the accidental exposure). On the fifth day, 112 h after exposure, the toluene level was 120-45 micrograms/l in the blood and 3-1 micrograms/l in the alveolar air. The urinary excretion of o-cresol, calculated as a toluene equivalent, was 0.8-0.9 mg on the second day and 1.7-1.6 mg on the third day. Urinary hippuric acid, as a toluene equivalent, was 1.7-1.4 g on the second day and 1.3-0.7 g on the third day. A half-life of between 19 and 21 h was calculated for toluene both in the blood and in the alveolar air.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1983

Isopropanol exposure: environmental and biological monitoring in a printing works.

Occupational exposure to isopropanol was studied in 12 workers by testing environmental air, alveolar air, venous blood, and urine during their work shift. Isopropanol, which ranged in environmental air between 7 and 645 mg/m3, was detected in alveolar air, where it ranged between 4 and 437 mg/m3, but not in blood or in urine. Alveolar isopropanol concentration (Ca) was significantly correlated with environmental isopropanol concentration (Ci) at any time of exposure. The value of the arithmetical Ca/ci ratio was 0.418 (SD 0.101). Acetone, which is a metabolite of isopropanol, was found in alveolar air, blood, and urine in concentrations that were higher during exposure than before. Alveolar and blood acetone concentrations were highly correlated with alveolar isopropanol concentrations at any time during exposure. Acetone ranged between 0.76 and 15.6 mg/l in blood, between 4 and 93 micrograms/l in alveolar air, and between 0.85 and 53.7 mg/l in urine. Alveolar (Ca) and blood (Cb) acetone concentrations were highly correlated (r = 0.67), with a Cb/Ca ratio of 101. Alveolar isopropanol uptake ranged between 0.03 and 6.8 mg/min and was highly correlated with environmental isopropanol concentration (r = 0.92). During exposure, acetone eliminated by the lungs ranged between 20 and 273 mg in seven hours and in urine between 0.3 and 9.6 mg in seven hours. Acetonuria was higher the next morning than at the end of exposure.

1-Propanol↗
PubMed1983

[Measurement of industrial noise].

n this paper a comprehensive method for description and measurement of industrial noise is presented keeping the following aspects into account: 1) evaluation by data collection questionnaire of work environment, working variables, noise sources, noise exposure, etc.; 2) noise measurement with particular regards to noise characteristics (steady noise, intermittent, fluctuating, irregular, impulsive), to sampling methods (position, duration, etc.) also in wiew to drawing up "noise maps"; 3) noise data processing ( LAEQ , LEX); on this aspect many applying examples are specified; 4) noise data representation and recording, also using computer aids. The AA draw the attention to adopt, also in anticipation of the European noise standards, a standardized method for industrial noise evaluation.

Environmental Exposure↗
PubMed1982

Biomonitoring of occupational toluene exposure.

Toluene exposure was studied in 20 workers employed in painting and hand-finishing in an art furniture factory. Toluene was determined in the environmental air of places of work and in the alveolar air and blood of the workers. Hippuric acid and cresols were also tested in the workers' urine. Blood and urine tests were carried out before the work shift on Monday and Friday morning and at the end of the work shift on Friday afternoon. The other tests were performed on Friday afternoon only. Alveolar toluene concentrations, which were significantly correlated with environmental toluene concentrations (r = 0.6230; P less than 0.01), corresponded to 19.4% of the toluene concentration in the atmosphere. Blood toluene was also found in painters on Monday morning and was significantly correlated with the other parameters. On Friday afternoon it was three times higher than the environmental toluene concentration. Urinary o-Cresol was highly correlated with toluene in the atmosphere, in blood and with hippuric acid in urine. On the basis of the slope of the regression line the ratio between urinary o-Cresol and blood toluene concentration was 0.99. At the end of the work shift urinary hippuric acid concentration was highly correlated with o-Cresoluria and with toluene in blood and in the atmosphere.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1980

Biomonitoring of industrial solvent exposures in workers' alveolar air.

Ten different solvents, viz., toluene, styrene, methylethyl ketone, acetone, dimethylformamide, cyclohexane, n-hexane, methylcyclopentane, 2-methylpentane, and 3-methylpentane were determined in environmental air and in the alveolar air of workers during the work shift. As regards all ten solvents studied, alveolar concentration (Ca) and the difference between environmental concentration (Ci) and alveolar concentration (Ci-Ca), were correlated with environmental concentration. According to the slopes of the regression lines, the ratio between alveolar and environmental concentration (Ca/Ci) and the alveolar retention ((Ci-Ca)/Ci) in the case of all ten solvents studied were complementary, i.e., their sum was equal to unity. The solvents with high solubility in blood, i.e., toluene, styrene, methylethyl ketone, acetone, and dimethylformamide showed a Ca/Ci ratio lower than 0.5 and the solvents with low solubility, i.e., cyclohexane, hexane, and their isomers showed a Ca/Ci ratio higher than 0.5. According to the findings which prove that the alveolar concentration of all solvents studied during the work shift is a function of variations in the environmental concentrations it seems reasonable to suggest the use of alveolar tests for monitoring environmental exposure to solvents during the work shift.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1978

[Proposal for threshold limit values for organic solvent concentrations in alveolar air].

The n-hexane concentration was determined in upper factory environmental air and in worker alveolar air. The relationship between the hexane alveolar concentration, and the hexane environmental concentration (Ca/Ci) was found to be steady during the 4,5 hours exposure and independent of the alveolar ventilation and hexane environmental concentration. These results suggest the hypothesis that alveolar TLV's can be fixed for hexane and other solvents.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Interference of manganese on neuroendocrinal system in exposed workers. Preliminary report.

The neurotoxic effects of Manganese (Mn) are well known, and are usually caused by high occupational exposure over long periods of time. The effects caused by low doses of this metal have been poorly evaluated. For this reason, we decided to evaluate neuroendocrinal tests in a group of 14 male workers employed in a ferrous-manganese foundry (exposed to Mn air concentrations within the TLV-TWA) and in 14 male control subjects, by analyzing FSH, LH, prolactin, and cortisol. The urinary Mn; prolactin, and cortisol levels were significantly higher in the worker's group. The preliminary results of this research seem to show that for exposure below the TLV, Mn can somehow interfere with the neuroendocrine system. In order to confirm the existence of these effects and to verify their possible correlation with the dopaminergic control system, further studies are necessary.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Alteration of steroid hormone sulfation and D-glucaric acid excretion in lead workers.

The capability of lead to interfere with the first and/or second phase of enzymatic reaction of biotransformation has been investigated in ten lead workers and in ten controls by studying the steroid hormone sulfation and D-glucaric acid (GA) urinary excretion. No statistical differences have been found for the total amount of urinary steroids, whereas a decrease of about 50% was observed for the sulfated fraction in lead workers. The mean value for the GA excretion in the exposed subjects (1.8 +/- 0.7 mmol/mol creatinine) was significantly lower than in the control group (4.4 +/- 0.8 mmol/mol creatinine). In spite of the small number of investigated subjects, it can be hypothesized that an interaction of lead with sulfotransferase exists. The decreased GA excretion does not prove an altered activity of microsomal enzymes, although inhibition of microsomal activity following lead exposure was previously reported.

Alcohol Drinking↗