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

AX6-248
Table AX6-9.6 (cont’d). Effects of Lead on the Endocrine System in Adults
Reference, Study
Location, and Period Study Description Pb Measurement Findings, Interpretation
Latin America
L∴pez et al. (2000)
Argentina
NR
Roses et al. (1989)
Brazil
NR
Asia
Dursun and Tutus
(1999)
Turkey
NR
Design: cross sectional
Subjects: adult male battery manufacture
workers (n = 75), age range 21–56 yr;
reference group (n = 62), age NR
Outcome measures: serum TT3, FT4, TT4,
TSH
Analysis: comparison of outcome measures
between Pb workers and reference group,
correlation
Design: adult male Pb workers (n = 70), age
range 20–53 yr; reference group (n = 58), age
range 25–37 yr.
Outcome measures: serum PRL
Analysis: comparison of outcome measure
between Pb workers and reference group,
linear regression
Design: cross-sectional
Subjects: adult metal powder manufacture
workers (n = 27) mean age 41.1 yr (SD 5.45,
range 25–50); reference group (n = 30), mean
age 42 yr (SD 3.42, range 28–49)
Outcome measures: serum FT4, TT4, FT3,
TT3, TSH
Analysis: parametric comparison of outcome
measures between Pb and reference groups,
simple and multivariate linear regression
Blood Pb (µg/dL) mean
(range):
Pb: 50.9 (23.3, 8–98)
Reference: 19.1 (7.1, 4–39)
Blood Pb (µg/dL) range:
Pb: 9–86
Reference: 8–28
Blood Pb (µg/dL) mean
(range):
Pb: 17.1 (9.0, 6–36)
Reference: 2.4 (0.1, 1–4)
Significantly higher serum FT4 (p < 0.01) and TT4 (p < 0.05) in Pb
workers compared to reference group. Significant positive
correlation between blood Pb and serum TT3 (p < 0.05), FT4
(p < 0.01), TT4 (p < 0.05), and TSH (p < 0.05), for blood Pb range
8–50 µg/dL; and for TSH (p < 0.05) for blood Pb range 8–
26 µg/dL.
Serum RL levels in Pb workers and reference group not
significantly different (p = NR). Correlation between serum PRL
and blood Pb (r = 0.57, p = NR).
Significantly (p < 0.0001) higher mean TT4, FT4, and FT3 in Pb
workers compared to reference group.
Significant association between TT4, age (∃ = 0.23, p < 0.006), and
exposure duration (∃ = −0.20, p > 0.01), but not blood Pb (∃ = 0.00,
NR) in linear regression model that included age, blood Pb, and
exposure duration (∀ = 2.76, r 2 = 0.3, p = 0.03).