Study on biomarkers of free radicals in patients with occupationally chronic benzene poisoning

  Objective  To observe the change of superoxide dismutase(SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase(GR) and total antioxidant status (TAS) of patients with occupationally chronic benzene poisoning, to explore the usefulness of these biomarkers.

  Methods  From January 2019 to April 2021, 38 patients with mild benzene poisoning in Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases were studied, while 38 people who had a health checkup in the hospital during same period were selected as the controls. The levels of SOD, GPX, GR and TAS were detected by enzyme method and colorimetry, and the peripheral blood cell count was detected by flow cytometry. The difference of test results between the two groups was analyzed.

  Results  The white blood cell(3.44 ±1.26)×10⁹/L, the number of platelet(175.82 ±56.48)×10⁹/L, the hemoglobin(121.0 ±16.86) g/L and red blood cell(4.08 ±0.61)×10¹²/L of the patients were all lower than those of the controls(6.75 ±2.17)×10⁹/L, (266.66 ±66.31)×10⁹/L, (138.82 ±20.80) g/L and(4.92 ±0.64)×10¹²/L respectively (P < 0.01). The TAS(0.94 ±0.30) mmol/L, SOD(118.13 ±37.39) U/mL, GPX(42.01 ±13.85) U/L, GR(44.67 ±16.83) U/L of the patients were lower than those of the control group(1.35 ±0.31) mmol/L, (144.79 ±32.75) U/mL, (56.16 ±12.62) U/L, (55.26 ±14.33) U/L respectively (P < 0.05). There were significant linear correlations between the level of white blood cells and glutathione reductase, between platelets and total antioxidant status, and between platelets and superoxide dismutase (r=0.325, P=0.047; r=-0.332, P=0.041; r=-0.361, P=0.026, respectively).

  Conclusions  The levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and total antioxidant status can be used as potential effect biomarkers for occupational chronic benzene poisoning.