Air Quality Criteria for Lead Volume II of II - (NEPIS)(EPA) - US ...

AX6-234
Table AX6-9.4. Effects of Lead on Hematopoietic System in Adults
Reference, Study
Location, and Period Study Description Pb Measurement Findings, Interpretation
United States
Hu et al. (1994)
U.S.
1991
Europe
Osterode et al. (1999)
Austria
NR
Design: survey
Subjects: adult male carpentry workers
(n = 119), mean age: 48.6 yr (range 23–67)
Outcome measures: blood Hct, blood Hgb
Analysis: multivariate linear regression
Design: cross-sectional cohort
Subjects: adult male Pb workers (n = 20),
ages 46 yr (SD, 7); age-matched reference
group (n = 20)
Outcome measures: blood PCV, blood Hgb,
serum EPO, blood erythroid progenitor
(BFU-E) cell count, blood pluripotent
progenitor (CFU-GEMM) cell count, blood
granulocyte/macrophage progenitor (CFU-
GM) cell count.
Analysis: parametric and nonparametric
comparison of outcomes between Pb workers
and reference group; correlation
Blood Pb (µg/dL) mean
(SD, range):
8.3 (4.0, 2–25)
Bone Pb (µg/g) mean
(SD, range)
Tibia: 9.8 (9.5, −15 to 39)
Patella: 13.9 (16.6, −11 to
78)
Blood Pb (µg/dL) mean
(range):
Pb: 45.5 (16–91)
Reference: 4.1 (3–14)
Urine Pb (µg/L) mean
(range):
Pb: 46.6 (7–108)
Reference: 3.7 (2–16)
Significant association between increasing patella bone Pb and
decreasing covariate adjusted blood Hgb (∃ = −0.019 [SE 0.0069],
p = 0.008, r 2 = 0.078) and blood Hct (∃ = −0.052 [SE 0.019],
p = 0.009, r 2 = 0.061). After adjustment for bone Pb measurement
error, a 37 µg/dL increase in patella bone Pb level (from the lowest
to highest quintile) was associated with a decrease in blood Hgb and
Hct of 11 g/L (95% CI: 2.7, 19.3) and 0.03 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.05),
respectively.
Covariates considered: age, body mass index, tibia Pb, patella Pb,
blood Pb, current smoking status, alcohol consumption
Covariates retained: patella bone Pb, alcohol consumption, body
mass index.
Significantly lower (p < 0.001) BFU-E counts in Pb workers who
had blood Pb concentrations ∃60 µg/dL, compared to reference
group. Significant negative correlation between blood Pb or urine
Pb and CFU-GM and CFU-E. Serum EPO was not correlated with
Hct in Pb workers, however, serum EPO increased exponentially
with decrease in Hct in reference group.