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Clinical and genetic features of toxic liver damage in workers of petrochemical enterprises

https://doi.org/10.31089/1026-9428-2025-65-1-49-56

EDN: uazmvy

Abstract

Introduction. Harmful chemicals are often used in petrochemical production, which causes them to be in the air of the work area. Penetrating into the body of workers, chemical compounds can contribute to disorders of the body's health. The formation of chemically active metabolites during the biotransformation of xenobiotics leads to damage to the abdominal organs and causes changes in peripheral blood parameters, which can be used to search for new diagnostic markers of the effects of harmful factors on health.

The study aims to consider the prognostic possibilities of biochemical and genetic indicators for the early diagnosis of toxic liver damage in workers in the chemical industry.

Materials and methods. The experts conducted a study of the health status of 114 workers of petrochemical enterprises and they found toxic liver damage in 29 workers (cohort 1). The comparison group included 92 employees of enterprises in other industries who are not in contact with industrial chemical risk factors, of which 48 people were found to have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (cohort 3). Scientists conducted clinical studies of the body in workers using biochemical, instrumental and genetic methods.

Results. A study of the prognostic capabilities of predictors of toxic liver damage demonstrated a good potential for biomarkers: the percentage of "comets" with fragmentation of more than 5% of DNA (cut-off=12.24%, Sen=79.3%, Spe=66.7%, AUC ROC=0.711; p<0.001), the average percentage of DNA in the tail of the "comet" (cut-off=2.95%, Sen=79.3%, Spe=60.5%, AUC ROC=0.727; p<0.001), aspartate aminotransferase (cut-off=25.5 U/L, Sen=86.2%, Spe=48.6%, AUC ROC=0.707; p<0.001), direct bilirubin (cut-off=3.05 mmol/L, Sen=72.4%, Spe=75.7%, AUC ROC=0.752; p<0.001).

Conclusion. The results of the study indicate the high prognostic capabilities of certain genetic biomarkers (the percentage of "comets" with fragmentation of more than 5% of DNA, the average percentage of DNA in the tail of the "comet") to differentiate cases of production-related toxic liver damage from cases of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the early stages of pathology formation.

Ethics. The study was carried out in accordance with the fundamental documents of the Russian Federation and the international principles of research ethics (minutes of the meeting of the bioethical commission of the Ufa Scientific Research Institute of Occupational Health and Human Ecology of Rospotrebnadzor No. 01-09 dated 30.09.2024).

Limitations. The results obtained are limited by the number of participants (223 workers) and the capabilities of the research methods used (clinical, sonographic, single-cell agarose gel electrophoresis, statistical, ROC analysis).

Contributions:
Kudoyarov E.R. — research concept and design, data collection and processing, text writing;
Ivanova D.P. — data collection and processing;
Bakirov A.B. — research concept and design, editing;
Kalimullina D.Kh. — editing;
Galiullina D.M. — data collection and processing;
Mironova G.R. — data collection and processing.

Funding. The study had no funding.

Conflict of interests. The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Received: 15.11.2024 / Accepted: 02.12.2024 / Published: 07.02.2025

About the Authors

Eldar R. Kudoyarov
Ufa Research Institute of Occupational Health and Human Ecology
Russian Federation

Junior Researcher, Genetics Laboratory, Toxicology and Genetics Department with Experimental Clinic of Laboratory Animals (Ufa Research Institute of Occupational Health and Human Ecology)

e-mail: e.kudoyarov@yandex.ru



Dinara P. Ivanova
Ufa Research Institute of Occupational Health and Human Ecology
Russian Federation

General Practitioner, Gastroenterologist, Therapeutic and Occupational Pathology Department (Ufa Research Institute of Occupational Health and Human Ecology)

e-mail: fbun@uniimtech.ru



Akhat B. Bakirov
Ufa Research Institute of Occupational Health and Human Ecology; Bashkir State Medical University; Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Bashkortostan
Russian Federation

Advisor to the Director (Ufa Research Institute of Occupational Health and Human Ecology), Head of the Department of Therapy and Occupational Diseases with the Course of Additional Professional Education (Bashkir State Medical University), Dr. of Sci. (Med.), Professor, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Bashkortostan

e-mail: fbun@uniimtech.ru



Dilara Kh. Kalimullina
Bashkir State Medical University
Russian Federation

Professor of the Department of Therapy and Occupational Diseases with the Course of Additional Professional Education (Bashkir State Medical University), Dr. of Sci. (Med.)

e-mail: dilaramd@gmail.com



Dinara M. Galiullina
Ufa Research Institute of Occupational Health and Human Ecology
Russian Federation

Head of the Therapeutic and Occupational Pathology Department of the Clinic (Ufa Research Institute of Occupational Health and Human Ecology)

e-mail: fbun@uniimtech.ru



Gulnara R. Mironova
Ufa Research Institute of Occupational Health and Human Ecology
Russian Federation

Head of the Consultative and Outpatient Department, Occupational Pathologist of the Clinic (Ufa Research Institute of Occupational Health and Human Ecology)

e-mail: fbun@uniimtech.ru



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Review

For citations:


Kudoyarov E.R., Ivanova D.P., Bakirov A.B., Kalimullina D.Kh., Galiullina D.M., Mironova G.R. Clinical and genetic features of toxic liver damage in workers of petrochemical enterprises. Russian Journal of Occupational Health and Industrial Ecology. 2025;65(1):49-56. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31089/1026-9428-2025-65-1-49-56. EDN: uazmvy

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ISSN 1026-9428 (Print)
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