Abstract
Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a key enzyme in the nervous system. It terminates nerve impulses by catalysing the hydrolysis of neurotransmitter acetylcholine. As a specific molecular target of organophosphate and carbamate pesticides, acetylcholinesterase activity and its inhibition has been early recognized to be a human biological marker of pesticide poisoning. Measurement of AChE inhibition has been increasingly used in the last two decades as a biomarker of effect on nervous system following exposure to organophosphate and carbamate pesticides in occupational and environmental medicine. The success of this biomarker arises from the fact that it meets a number of characteristics necessary for the successful application of a biological response as biomarker in human biomonitoring: the response is easy to measure, it shows a dose-dependent behavior to pollutant exposure, it is sensitive, and it exhibits a link to health adverse effects. The aim of this work is to review and discuss the recent findings about acetylcholinesterase, including its sensitivity to other pollutants and the expression of different splice variants. These insights open new perspective for the future use of this biomarker in environmental and occupational human health monitoring.
Highlights
Biological markers were early defined as “cellular, biochemical or molecular alterations that are measurable in biological media such as human tissues, cells, or fluids” [1]
In the last two decades a growing interest towards biomarkers has been recorded in occupational and environmental medicine, as observed in Figure 1, where the trend of the number of papers published in these fields in the last 20 years is reported
The interest in biomarkers in occupational and environmental medicine parallels the development of human biomonitoring which is defined as the repeated, controlled measurement of chemical or biomarkers in fluids, tissues, or other accessible samples from subjects currently exposed or had been exposed in the past or to be exposed to chemical, physical, or biological risk factors in the workplace and/or the general environment [3]
Summary
Biological markers (biomarkers) were early defined as “cellular, biochemical or molecular alterations that are measurable in biological media such as human tissues, cells, or fluids” [1]. Biomarkers are useful tools in a variety of fields, including medicine, environmental health, toxicology, developmental biology, and basic scientific research. The interest in biomarkers in occupational and environmental medicine parallels the development of human biomonitoring which is defined as the repeated, controlled measurement of chemical or biomarkers in fluids, tissues, or other accessible samples from subjects currently exposed or had been exposed in the past or to be exposed to chemical, physical, or biological risk factors in the workplace and/or the general environment [3]. Biomarkers used in environmental and occupational human health monitoring can be distinguished into three classes: biomarker of exposure, effect, and susceptibility [4]. The present work aims to review and discuss the recent findings on this biomarker in relation to the current and future use in environmental and occupational human health monitoring
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