Improving Blood Monitoring of Enzymes as Biomarkers of Risk from Anticholinergic Pesticides and Chemical Warfare Agents
Abstract
Blood biomarkers are an important way to monitor exposure to anticholinergic pesticides and chemical warfare agents and to establish whether some personnel are at greater risk than others from exposure. Many clinical and research laboratories use the colorimetric Ellman assay based on the hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine. CHPPM (US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine) uses a slower delta pH method based on that of Michel to monitor 16,000 DOD personnel each year. Two different approaches of ours yielded conversion factors for expressing delta pH AChE in terms of Ellman assay units. We also converted the normal range of AChE activities from the CHPPM delta pH assay to Ellman units generating important benchmarks for clinical laboratory determinations in the absence of baseline data. Future work includes determining conversion factors for the Test Mate cholinesterase measurements to the delta pH and Ellman methods, and examining the feasibility of monitoring serum BChE and PON1 activities in collaboration with the CRL laboratory of CHPPM.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA482517
Entities
People
- Barry W. Wilson
Organizations
- University of California