Increased serum bile acids as a possible biomarker of hepatotoxicity in Brazilian workers exposed to solvents in car repainting shops

The objective was to evaluate total serum bile acids (SBA) as a biological marker of hepatotoxicity in car painters exposed to organic solvents and to compare their performance with classic biochemical parameters of liver function. SBA were analysed in a selected group of workers (n = 57) occupationally exposed to a mixture of organic solvents and in a control group ( n = 51). In addition, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin ( TB), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase ( ALP) were determined in the two groups. Urinary hippuric acid was measured in all samples. Statistical analysis of the data revealed a significant increase in the concentration of SBA, AST, ALP and TB in exposed workers compared with controls ( Mann - Whitney, p <= 0.05). However, SBA was the parameter most frequently altered in exposed workers and showed higher significance between the two groups (chi-square test) compared with the upper limit of the reference range ( 8 mu mol l(-1)). In conclusion, SBA can be considered to be a sensitive parameter of hepatotoxicity induced by organic solvents than the traditional tests and it can be used as an biological marker of subclinical liver injury.