Abstract
Background: Study on the effect of nickel exposure in the occupational setting and its association to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) had been studied before. Questions were raised whether the result from previous study would also show the same pattern of the urinary nickel concentration in this study. Objective: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the association between urine nickel concentration and CEA level among welders in automotive part workers in Malaysia. Methodology: There were 56 welders and 44 administrative workers were recruited in this study. Urine and blood samples were collected at the end of shift towards the end of workweek. CEA was assayed in serum using TECO Diagnostic ELISA Kit. Urinary nickel was determined by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Results: The mean carcinoembryonic antigen concentrations of the exposed group (4.07±2.60 ng mL-1) was significantly higher (p<0.001) than the control group (1.99±0.97 ng mL-1). Twenty seven percent of the exposed group showed values above the reference range. The mean urinary nickel level was also significantly higher (p<0.001) in the exposed group (1.99±0.91 mg L-1) than the control group. Result showed correlation between serum carcinoembryonic antigen concentration and urinary nickel concentration (r = 0.206). Conclusion: The significant elevation of urinary nickel levels in the welders compared with controls suggests that the welders were exposed to nickel fumes during welding. It is suggested that elevation of serum carcinoembryonic antigen was due to exposure to nickel during welding processes after controlling other confounding factors.
Highlights
Nickel (Ni) had been used widely in stainless steel industries throughout the world especially activities involved with welding
Of the 700 workers only 56 welders were selected as the exposed group while 44 workers from administrative department selected as the control group
Demographic information: Fifty-six Malay male welders and a control group consisted of 44 Malay males from the stamping operations (n = 34) and office workers (n = 10) were examined for this study
Summary
Nickel (Ni) had been used widely in stainless steel industries throughout the world especially activities involved with welding. Studies of nickel exposure were well documented when blood, tissues and in urine samples showed higher concentrations in occupation with direct nickel exposure[7,11,21,22,23]. Study on the effect of nickel exposure in the occupational setting and its association to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) had been studied before. Results: The mean carcinoembryonic antigen concentrations of the exposed group (4.07±2.60 ng mL−1) was significantly higher (p
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
