delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase in low level lead exposure.

No statistically significant correlation was observed between log delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity and blood lead levels (Pb-B) in rural or urban habitants (p greater than .5 and P greater than .1, respectively) in whom no occupational source of lead was known. However, when the values the the two groups were pooled, there was a fairly good negative correlation (r = 0.509, P less than .01). Stepwise correlation coefficient analysis indicated the existance of a threshold value of Pb-B (around 15 mug/100 ml) below which ALAD activity had nor orderly relationship with the Pb-B. In contrast with married couples, parents and their children showed a remarkably high interrelationship in values of ALAD. It is concluded that in low level lead exposure primarily genetic factors influence the activity of ALAD and, thus ALAD is useful for the evaluation of lead exposure only when the lead level is higher than the threshold.

[1]  K. Tsuchiya,et al.  Biological response and subjective symptoms in low level lead exposure. , 1974, Archives of environmental health.

[2]  H. Roels,et al.  Comparative study of effect of inorganic lead and cadmium on blood δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase in man , 1973, British journal of industrial medicine.

[3]  S. Granick,et al.  Studies in lead poisoning. II. Correlation between the ratio of activated to inactivated delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase of whole blood and the blood lead level. , 1973, Biochemical medicine.

[4]  S. Hernberg,et al.  Parameters indicative of absorption and biological effect in new lead exposure: a prospective study , 1973, British journal of industrial medicine.

[5]  O. Wada,et al.  The diagnosis of different degrees of lead absorption; in special references to choice and evaluation of various parameters indicative of an increased lead absorption. , 1973 .

[6]  B. Haeger‐Aronsen,et al.  Effect of lead on -aminolevulinic acid dehydrase activity in red blood cells. , 1971, Archives of environmental health.

[7]  F. Oski,et al.  Delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity in circulating blood cells. A sensitive laboratory test for the detection of childhood lead poisoning. , 1971, The New England journal of medicine.

[8]  F. Carswell,et al.  LEAD AND δ-AMINOLÆVULINIC ACID DEHYDRATASE LEVELS IN MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN AND IN LEAD-POISONED SUCKLING RATS , 1970 .

[9]  S. Hernberg,et al.  Delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydrase as a measure of lead exposure. , 1970, Archives of environmental health.

[10]  K. Nakao,et al.  Response to a low concentration of mercury vapor. Relation to human porphyrin metabolism. , 1969, Archives of environmental health.

[11]  K. Nakao,et al.  A simple method for the quantitative analysis of urinary delta-aminol evulinic acid to evaluate lead absorption , 1969, British journal of industrial medicine.

[12]  K. Nakao,et al.  Delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity in erythrocytes for the evaluation of lead poisoning. , 1968, Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry.

[13]  H. Lichtman,et al.  In vitro pyrrole and porphyrin synthesis in lead poisoning and iron deficiency. , 1963, The Journal of clinical investigation.