Hepatotoxic effect of organic solvents in people who work in shoe manufacturing at Yeşilyuva Region

Abstract

Purpose: Shoe manufacturing is one of the main income in Yeşilyuva region of Aci{dotless}pa-yam town. The workers are exposed to mixtures of various organic solvents which may be harmful to various organs and tissues. In this study we investigated possible hepatotoxic effects of these solvents. Materials and Methods: 314 people (98 females, 216 males) working in shoe manufacturing (mean age 37.8±10.5 years); 75 people (41 females, 34 males) previously worked in the same industry (mean age 44.3 ± 13.0 years) and 90 non-shoe workers (59 females, 31 males; mean age 47.4±14.9 years) were enrolled in the study. Serum ALT and AST levels were analyzed and the ratio of ALT to AST was calculated. Results: The levels of ALT and AST were higher in both present (23.2±12.4 I/U and 21.5±5.9 I/U, respectively) and ex-workers (23.4±14.1 I/U and 23.6±8.7 I/U, respectively) comparing to those of controls (19.1±7.5 I/U and 20.3±4.5 I/U, respectively). When compared to non-shoe workers, ALT levels increased significantly (p<0.0001) and the ALT/AST ratio exceeds 1 as the total working duration increases in both present and past workers. Similarly, people who directly exposed to organic solvents had the same results. Conclusion: The findings suggest that ALT enzymes increases significantly as the weekly working duration and total working years of the workers increase who are exposed to mixtures of various organic solvents during shoe manufacturing. Although the ALT level and ALT/AST ratio are significantly higher than control group, the clinical value of this difference should be evaluated carefully since it remains within the reference ranges used. © TurkJBiochem.com.