Biomedical subjects

T Kuneva

Publications and source records attributed to T Kuneva.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1998

A comparative assessment of liver function in workers in the petroleum industry.

OBJECTIVES: The group studied included 666 workers from the benzene (n = 30), xylenes (n = 144), ethylene oxide (n = 91), 1,3-butadiene (n = 110) and transport and mechanisation (n = 82) departments of a petrochemical plant in Bulgaria. The leading hazards for the particular departments are as follows: Benzene: benzene (up to ten times the threshold limit value; TLV): xylenes: benzene (up to nine times TLV) and xylenes (up to 1.6 times TLV); ethylene oxide: ethylene oxide (up to 20 times TLV) and ethylene (up to 30 times TLV); divinyl: 1,3-butadiene (five times TLV) and acetonitrile (six times TLV); transport and mechanisation: benzene, xylenes and pentane (0.7-10 times TLV). METHODS: The functional status of the liver was assessed by clinical (medical check-up), echographic and biochemical (ASAT, ALAT, APh, gamma-GT, lipid fractions, reduced glutathione and SH groups) investigations. Biochemical analyses were performed with POINTE 190 (USA). The results obtained were compared with those of a control group (n = 150), consisting of subjects with no occupational exposure to chemical hazards. RESULTS: Comparisons showed that the metabolic disturbances determined were most significant in workers from the ethylene oxide department. Significant decreases in the serum levels of reduced glutathione (up to 48%) and of thiol groups (with 23%), increased enyzme activity (up to 18%) and lipid fractions (up to 24%) were observed. In the benzene and xylenes departments, deviations in the indices studied were equally manifest. In workers exposed to 1,3-butadiene, the changes in lipid indices were prevalent (registered in 25% of the studied persons). The staff in transport and mechanisation showed deviations in enzyme indices at a slight increase of the lipid fractions. The changes determined in serum biochemical characteristics corresponded to the clinical findings--hepatomegaly, confirmed echographically in 10%-20% in the different departments. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained followed the exposure-response relationship. The deviations registered in workers with a length of service of more than 10 years were the most significant. The occupational genesis of the determined disturbances was confirmed in 11 subjects.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

[The interaction between lead, cadmium and essential trace elements (an experimental study)].

An experimental study is performed on 120 white male Wistar rats with average weight 180-210 g. The animals are distributed in 4 groups. I group--control; II group--animals treated with aqua solution of cadmium sulphate; III group--animals treated with aqua solution of cadmium sulphate and lead acetate simultaneously and IV group--animals treated with aqua solution of lead acetate. The toxic substances are introduced per oral in dose 1/40 of LD50 and for a period of 90 days. The animals are killed by decapitation on the 2, 4, 15, 30 and 90th day from the beginning of treatment. An increased content of cadmium in blood, urine and liver is registered in II and III group of animals, and of lead--in III and IV group animals. The zinc content in liver in group II is increased in comparison with the control group, while in group III and IV remains unchanged. The concentration of zinc in blood in animals from II and III group is increased. There is no deviation in group IV. The copper content in liver is decreased in II, III and IV group. There are no significant deviations in the content of copper in the blood of the examined groups of animals. The level of manganese in liver in II, III and IV group of animals is reduced. No changes in the content of manganese in blood are registered in the examined groups animals.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

[Toxic lesions in workers in the pharmaceutical industry].

Clinical studies are performed on 15 workers from the chemical and pharmaceutic plant "Stanke Dimitrov". Seven of the workers are with acute poisoning from aniline and phenylhydrazine, and eight are exposed to a chronic combined effect of a large group of organic solvents. The clinic and laboratory examinations aim at clarifying the liver and kidney functions, the state of the blood and nervous systems. The tests embrace also blood test morphology and osmotic resistance of erythrocytes, iron, correlation of haemoglobin types, electrolytes, transaminase, GGTP, lipid metabolism, iron-binding capacity. Moderately increased transaminase activity is found in 2/3 of the examined. In four of the workers is registered expressed anaemic and lung syndrome. The following diagnoses are accepted: chronic combined effect of organic solvents--in 3 workers; chronic poisoning with aniline and other solvents--in 1; toxic hepatitis--in 4, with no data for poisoning--in 7. The leading clinical syndromes in acute and chronic combined effect of organic solvents are discussed.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1992

[The incidence of paraprofessional diseases in employees of the Research Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy in Kremikovtsi].

The health status of 200 workers from the Institute for Ferrous Metallurgy is studied in view of the harmful effect of the unfavourable factors of the working environment (noise, microclimate, toxic aerosols, gases and vapours). Internal examinations are also performed. A number of laboratory indices are determined in order to assess the liver and kidney functions. A complete blood test and lipid metabolism are examined. Lead and manganese are determined in blood by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry. In 23.5% of the examined are established data for arterial hypertension; with diseases of the gastric-intestinal tract are 22%. The influence of the toxic aerosols and the nervous and psychic loading of the examined workers on the higher prevalence of the paraoccupational diseases are discussed.

Academies and Institutes↗

PubMed1988

[Changes in organ-specific enzymes under the influence of an enriched food ration in experimental cadmium poisoning].

During a 3-month experiment is studied the effect of enriched with iron, calcium, phosphorous and vitamin D2 food ration on the changes in the organospecific enzymes in everyday introduction in the organism of experimental animals of cadmium sulfate in dose 1/40 LD50 (7 mg/kg-1). The serum activity of GOT and GPT is traced in dynamics at the end of the first, second and third month, as well as the activity of gamma-GT, LAP and APh in homogenates of liver and kidneys. The changes established in most of the experimental groups and the dates of observation show an increase in the serum and tissue activity of the examined enzymes (GOT, GPT, LAP). The tissue activity of gamma-GT and the quantity of free sulfhydryl groups are decreased in some of the dates of observation (I and III month). Both the isolated effect of cadmium and enriched food ration and their combined effect are discussed.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of initial results of treatment of lead poisoning with EDTA].

The results of EDTA therapy were studied in 37 workers of a battery factory consisting of males with varying degrees of occupational lead poisoning (low exposure: 10 subjects, blood lead levels (PbB) lower than 400 micrograms/l with slight alterations in heme biosynthesis; beyond limit of effect: 5 subjects, PbB > 400 micrograms/l; slight intoxication: 19 subjects, with marked alterations in heme synthesis and preclinical signs of intoxication; average degree of intoxication: 3 subjects with clinical signs of intoxication. Clinical symptoms and the following parameters were investigated: blood lead (PbB), delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase in erythrocytes (ALA-D), zinc protoporphyrin (PP) in erythrocytes and delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in 24-hour urine before and after EDTA chelating therapy. Simultaneous measurement of ALA-D and PP showed high diagnostic sensitivity in detecting lead poisoning in occupationally exposed subjects. In view of the high interindividual variability of the results, these indices did not, however, permit a useful differentiation to be made of the different degrees of intoxication at individual level, even though a good correlation was observed between PbB and porphyrin metabolism indices. From the alterations observed in ALA-D and PP values it was not possible to establish an association between degree of alteration and types of clinical symptoms in the different intoxication studies. At the end of EDTA treatment, a clinical improvement was observed in all cases studied but only in 5 cases was a reduction in PbB observed, to levels below 1.20 mol/l, which is accepted as a permissible limit for the general population; in 17 cases PbB remained at levels above the critical value for occupational lead poisoning (400 micrograms/l), although there was a decrease after treatment. The improvement observed in the indices of porphyrin metabolism at the end of treatment was only slight: significant variations were measured only for PbB. After treatment no association was observed between ALA-D and PP variations in erythrocytes and improvement in clinical symptoms; measurement of these indices therefore seems to be of little use in assessing the efficacy of the treatment. In spite of its limited diagnostic sensitivity during intoxication, measurement of ALA in urine could be useful to assess the efficacy of chelating therapy in subjects in whom the values are initially altered.

Adult↗