A pesar que se ha promovido el estudio de la exposición ocupacional al benceno y su mezcla con tolueno y xileno (BTX), la que parece determinar su toxicidad y producción de efectos aditivos, persisten mayor interés por reconocer de manera aislada sus efectos hematoinmunotóxicos pese a que las exposiciones a una única sustancia en el terreno laboral es infrecuente. Las aportaciones disponibles que analizan esas implicaciones son escasas, de resultados contradictorios y mayoritariamente se circunscriben a la fracción bencénica. Estudios epidemiológicos que han evaluado la exposición ocupacional a cualquiera de las fracciones de BTX se han fundamentado en el monitoreo personal, mientras que otros la caracterizan de manera heterogénea y con propuestas de menor dureza. La conformación de métodos específicos para estimar la exposición ocupacional a mezcla de BTX contribuiría a su homogeneización y permitiría una visión más integral en términos de determinar la exposición. Por otro lado, se cuestiona la aplicación de biomarcadores de exposición del BTX en estudios que consideran exposiciones crónicas relacionadas con los efectos biológicos específicos de referencia. El análisis de la exposición ocupacional a mezcla de BTX asociado a manifestaciones hematoinmunológicas se fundamenta en información aún poco clara, controversial o incluso especulativa.
Kikuchi, Shigeaki A. History of the structural theory of benzene. The aromatic sextet rule and Hückel’s rule. J Chem Educ 1997;74(2):194-201.
Greenburg L. Benzol poisoning as an industrial hazard. Public Health Rep 1926;41:1357-1375.
Ruiz MA, Vassallo J, de Souza CA. Hematologic changes in patients chronically exposed to benzene Rev Saude Publica 1993;27(2):145-151.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological profile for benzene. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services; 1993.
Baarson KA, Snyder CA. Evidence for the disruption of the bone marrow microenvironment by combined exposures to inhaled benzene and ingested ethanol. Arch Toxicol 1991;65(5):414-420.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Interaction profile for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX). Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2004. p. 5, 13, 24, 31, 59.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological profile for toluene. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services; 1993.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological profile for xylene. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services; 1993.
Toxicological Review of Benzene (Noncancer effects) (CAS No. 71-43-2) In: Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Washington, DC: US Environmental Protection Agency; 2002. p. 19-22.
Schlosser PM. Needs for research on benzene metabolism and dosimetry J Toxicol Environ Health 2000;61:373-376.
Human Health Effects. Benzene. Priority existing chemical assessment. Report No. 21, National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme; 2001. p. 72, 133.
Sherwood RJ. Pharmacokinetics of benzene in a human after exposure at about the occupational limit. Ann NY Acad Sci 1988;534:635-647.
Kalf GF Recent advances in the metabolism and toxicity of benzene. Crit Rev Toxicol 1987;18:141- 159.
Snyder R, Chepiga T, Yang CS, Thomas H, Platt K, Oesche F. Benzene metabolism by reconstituted cytochrome b5, microsomal epoxide hydrolase and glutathione transferases: evidence for an important role of microsomal epoxide hydrolase in the formation of hydroquinone. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 1993;122:172-181.
Smith MT, Yager JW, Steinmetz KL, Eastmond DA. Peroxidase-dependant metabolism of benzene’s phenolic metabolites and its potential role in benzene toxicity and carcinogenicity Environ Health Persp 1989;82:23-29.
Hancock DG, Moffitt AE Jr, Hay EB. Hematological findings among workers exposed to benzene at a coke oven by-product recovery facility. Arch Environ Health 1984;39(6):414-418.
Moszczynski P, Lisiewicz J. Hematological indicators of peripheral blood in workers occupationally exposed to benzene, toluene and xylene. Folia Med Cracov 1984;25(3-4):405-419.
van Raalte HG, Grasso P. Hematological, myelotoxic, clastogenic, carcinogenic, and leukemogenic effects of benzene. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 1982;2(2):153-176.
d'Azevedo PA, Tannhauser M, Tannhauser SL, Barros HM. Hematological alterations in rats from xylene and benzene. Vet Hum Toxicol 1996;38 (5):340-344.
van Wijngaarden E, Stewart PA. Critical literature review of determinants and levels of occupational benzene exposure for United States communitybased case-control studies. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 2003;18(9):678-693.
Sherwood RJ, Carter FWG. The measurement of occupational exposure to benzene vapour. Ann Occup Hyg 1970;13:125-146.
Goldstein BD. Biological and ambient monitoring of benzene in the workplace. J Occup Med 1986; 28(10):1051-1054.
NORA Mixed Exposures Team. Mixed Exposure Research Agenda. US: Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; 2004. p. 4.
Qu Q, Shore R, Li G, Jin X, Chen LC, Cohen B, et al. Hematological changes among Chinese workers with a broad range of benzene exposures. Am J Ind Med 2002;42(4):275-285.
Saita G. Hematological damage of occupational origin in industry. Med Lav 1978;(3 Suppl):350-355.
Khristeva V, Mikhailova A, Kasurov M, Popov T. The hematological and biochemical changes in workers exposed to benzol. Probl Khig 1992;17: 130-137.
Khristeva M, Traikova E. Deviations in the hematological indices of women exposed to aromatic hydrocarbons. Probl Khig 1997;22:86-91.
Garavini C, Seren P. Hematologic and hemopoietic alterations following experimental benzene exposure in newts (Triturus cristatus). Biochem Exp Biol 1978;14(3):247-255.
Tsai SP. A hematology surveillance study of petrochemical workers exposed to benzene. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2004;40(1):67-73.
Wiwanitkit V, Suwansaksri J, Soogarun S. The urine trans, trans muconic acid biomarker and platelet count in a sample of subjects with benzene exposure. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost 2004;10(1):73-76.
Kyvik KR, Brattebo G, Tysnes OB, Oyen N, Sandberg S, Riise T, et al. Activation of blood platelets in workers exposed to organic solvents. J Occup Med 1992;34(7):687-692.
Collins JJ, Ireland BK, Easterday PA, Nair RS, Braun J. Evaluation of lymphopenia among workers with low-level benzene exposure and the utility of routine data collection. J Occup Environ Med 1997;39(3):232-237.
Tanigawa T, Araki S, Nakata A, Yokoyama K. Decreases of natural killer cells and T-lymphocyte subpopulations and increase of B lymphocytes following a 5-day occupational exposure to mixed organic solvents. Arch Environ Health 2001; 56(51):443-448.
Bogadi-Sare A, Zavalic M, Trosic I, Turk R, Kontosic I, Jelcic I. Study of some immunological parameters in workers occupationally exposed to benzene. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2000;73 (6):397-400.
Hotz P, Carbonnelle P, Scheiff JM, Tschopp A, Lauwerys R. Interleukin 1 alpha hematological examination in mechanics exposed to low benzene concentrations. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 1998;71(1):19-28
The immune system in health and disease. Host defense against infection. En: Janeway CA, Travers P, Walport M, Capra JD, editors. Immunobiology. The immune system in health and disease. Fourth edition. US: Current Biology Publications; 1999. p. 378-380
Bases de la Inmunología: I. Inmunidad Innata. En: Riott IM, editor. Inmunología. Fundamentos. Séptima edición. México: Panamericana; 1991. p. 13- 26.
Uthaisangsook S, Noorbibi K, Bahna SL, Good RA, Haraguchi S. Innate immunity and its role against infections. Ann Alergy Asthma Immunol 2002;88:253-265.
Rhodes AG, LeMasters GK, Lockey JE, Smith JW, Yiin JH, Egeghy P, Gibson R. The effects of jet fuel on immune cells of fuel system maintenance workers. J Occup Environ Med 2003;45(1):79-86.
Crebelli R. Exposure to benzene in urban workers: environmental and biological monitoring of traffic police in Rome. Occup Environ Med 2001;58(3): 165-171.
Chakroun R, Kaabachi N, Hedhili A, Feki M, Nouaigui H, Ben Laiba M, Mebazaa A. Benzene exposure monitoring of Tunisian workers. J Occup Environ Med 2002;44(12):1173-1178.
Vermeulen R, Li G, Lan Q, Dosemeci M, Rappaport SM, Bohong X, et al. Detailed exposure as sessment for a molecular epidemiology study of benzene in two shoe factories in China. Ann Occup Hyg 2004;48(2):105-116.
Guidelines for exposure assessment. Risk Assessment Forum. Washington DC: US Environmental Protection Agency; 1992. p. 12,13.
Glass DC, Adams GG, Manuell RW, Bisby JA. Retrospective exposure assessment for benzene in the Australian petroleum industry. Ann Occup Hyg 2000;44(4):301-320.
Lewis SJ, Bell GM, Cordingley N, Pearlman ED, Rushton L. Retrospective estimation of exposure to benzene in a leukemia case-control study of petroleum marketing and distribution workers in the United Kingdom. Occup Environ Med 1997; 54:167-175.
Smith TJ. Los conceptos de dosis en la evaluación de la exposición ocupacional. Salud Trabaj 1999;7 (1):1-9.
Environmental Protection Agency. Estimating exposures and risks for dioxin and related compounds. Washington DC: National Center for Environmental Assessment Office of Research and Development; 2000. p. 2.2-2.3.
Environmental Protection Agency. Exposure Factors Handbook. Vol I. General factors. US: EPA; 1997. p. 5.
Daugherty J. Assessment of chemical exposures. Calculation methods for environmental professionals. US: Lewis Publishers; 1998. p. 19-31.
Thrall KD, Kenny DV. Technologies for measuring recent exposures: volatile chemicals and the E2R monitor. En: Mendelsohn ML, Mohr LC, Peeters JP, editors. Biomarkers medical and workplace applications. Washington, DC: Joseph Henry Press; 1998. p. 87-95.
Needham LL, Bond J, Tannenbaum S. Exposure biomarkers. En: Congress of The United States. Screening and testing chemicals in commerce. US: Office the Technology Assessment; 1994. p. 85-95.
Waidyanatha S. Urinary benzene as a biomarker of exposure among occupationally exposed and unexposed subjects. Carcinogenesis 2001;22(2): 279-286.
Rothman N. Urinary excretion of phenol, catechol, hydroquinone, and muconic acid by workers occupationally exposed to benzene. Occup Environ Med 1998;55:705-711.
Inoue O, Kanno E, Kakizaki M, Watanabe T, Higashikawa, Ikeda M. Urinary phenylmercapturic acid as a marker of occupational exposure to benzene. Ind Health 2000;38(2):195-204.
Wiwanitkit V, Suwansaksri JJ, Nasuan P. Urine Trans-trans-muconic acid as a biomarker for benzene exposure in gas station attendants in Bangkok, Thailand. Ann Clin Lab Sci 2001; 31(4): 399-401.
Jacobson JA, McLean S. Biological monitoring of low level occupational xylene exposure and the role of recent exposure. Ann Occup Hyg 2003;47(4): 331-336.
Schäper M, Demes P, Zupanic M, Blaszkewicz M, Seeber A. Occupational toluene exposure and auditory function: results from a follow-up study. Ann Occup Hyg 2003;47(6):493-502.
Qingshau Q. Validation of biomarkers in humans exposed to benzene: Urine metabolites. Am J Ind Med 2000;37:522-531.
Dor F, Dab W, Empereur-Bissonnet P, Zmirou D. Validity of biomarkers in environmental health studies: the case of PAHs and Benzene. Crit Rev Toxicol 1999;29(2):129-168.
Aston JP, Ball RL, Pople JE, Jones K, Cocker J. Development and validation of a competitive immunoassay for urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid and its application in benzene biological monitoring. Biomarkers 2002;7(2):103-112.
Bogadi-Sare A, Zavalic M, Turk R. Utility of a routine medical surveillance program with benzene exposed workers. Am J Ind Med 2003;44(5):467-473.
Hulka SB, Wilcosky T. Biological markers in epidemiologic research. Arch Environ Health 1988;43(2):83-89.
Hulka SB, Margolin HB. Methodological issues in epidemiologic studies using biological markers. Am J Epidemiol 1992;135:200-209.
Secretaría de Salud. Norma oficial mexicana NOM-047-SSA1-1993, que establece los límites biológicos máximos permisibles de disolventes orgánicos en el personal ocupacionalmente expuesto. México: Diario Oficial de la Federación 23 de septiembre de 1996.