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

AX6-249
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
Asia (cont’d)
Kristal-Boneh et al.
(1998)
Israel
NR
Horiguchi et al. (1987)
Japan
NR
Ng et al. (1991)
China
NR
Design: cross-sectional cohort
Subjects: adult male battery
manufacture/recycling workers (n = 56), mean
age 43.4 yr (SD 11.2); reference workers
(n = 90), mean age 41.5 yr (SD 9.3)
Outcome measures: serum calcium,
magnesium, phosphorus, PTH, 25-OH-D,
1,25-OH-D
Analysis: parametric comparison of outcome
measures between Pb workers and reference
group, multivariate linear regression
Design: cross-sectional
Subjects: adult secondary Pb refinery (n = 60,
8 females), mean age 49 yr (range 15–69)
Outcome measures: serum TT3, TT4, TSH
Analysis: comparison of outcome measures
(method NR), between job categories,
correlation
Design: cross-sectional cohort
Subjects: adult male battery manufacture
workers (n = 122), mean age 32.6 (SD 8,2,
range 17–54); reference group (n = 49), mean
age 43.4 yr (SD 13.4, range 18–74)
Outcome measures: serum FSH, LH, PRL,
TES
Analysis: multivariate linear regression
ANCOVA
Blood Pb (µg/dL) mean
(SD, range):
Pb: 42.6 (14.5, 20–77)
Reference: 4.5 (2.6, 1.4–
19)
Blood Pb (µg/dL) mean
(SD):
Male: 31.9 (20.4)
Female: 13.5 (9.5)
Urine Pb (µg/L) mean (SD):
Male: 59.3 (76.3)
Female: 26.0 (19.7)
Blood Pb (µg/dL) mean
(SD, range):
Pb: 35.2 (13.2, 9.6–77.4)
Reference: 8.3 (2.8, 2.6–
14.8)
Serum 1,25-OH-D (p = 0.0001) and PTH (p = 0.042) were
significantly higher in Pb workers compared to reference group
Increasing blood Pb concentration (ln-transformed) was
significantly associated with covariate-adjusted increasing serum
PTH and 1,25-OH-D levels:
PTH: ∃ = 4.8 (95% CI: 0.8, 8.8), r 2 = 0.12
1,25-OH-D: ∃ = 4.8 (95% CI: 2.7, 6.9), r 2 = 0.10
Occupational Pb exposure (yes) significantly associated with
increasing PTH and 1,25-OH-D levels.
Covariates retained: age, alcohol consumption, smoking; calcium,
magnesium, and calorie intake:
PTH: ∃ = 7.81 (95% CI: 3.7, 11.5)
1,25-OH-D: ∃ = 12.3 (95% CI: 3.84, 20.8)
No significant differences (p = NR) between hormone levels in job
Pb categories: mean blood Pb (µg/dL, SD): 17.9 (10.7), 25.6
(15.4), 49.9 (18.7). No significant correlations (p = NR) between
hormone levels and blood or urine Pb levels.
When cohorts were stratified by age serum FSH and LH were
significantly (p < 0.02) higher in Pb workers