Toxic Nephropathy Biomarkers in Organic Solvents-Exposed Workers: Special Emphasis on Cystatin C and
Transforming Growth Factor Beta1
Manal H. Ahmed1, Neveen A. El-Desouky1, Laila A. Rashed2, and Nermeen A. El-Desouky3
1 From Industrial Medicine & Occupational Disease, Forensic Medicine & Clinical Toxicology,
2 Medical Biochemistry, and 3 Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt
Corresponding author: Prof. Dr. Manal Hassan Ahmed
Department of Occupational Medicine and Industrial diseases,
Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University
Telephone: Telephone number: 33288687, 0123897715
E-mail: manalmohy@hotmail.com
= Receiver operator characteristics = Statistical Package for the Social Science = Transforming growth factor-beta1
Abstract: Rationale and background: The kidney is the target of numerous xenobiotic toxicants, including environmental
chemicals. The aim of the present study was to evaluate some biomarkers of organic solvents nephrotoxicity.
Subjects and methods: 28 subjects were included in this study, they were
classified into 2 groups: Group I included 10 workers in Kasr El Eini outpatient clinic and not exposed to
organic solvents (control group) and Group II included 18 workers working in an organic solvent factory
(exposed group). The following investigations were performed for every subject: Serum cystatin C, urinary
cystatin C, serum transforming growth factor (TGF β1) and serum creatinine.
Results: Group II had statistically significant higher serum cystatin C,
TGF β1 and creatinine and statistically significant lower urinary cystatin C than Group I. Moreover,
there was a statistically significant positive correlation between the serum cystatin C and creatinine and a
statistically significant negative correlation between both markers and the urinary cystatin C. In addition, serum
cystatin C had 100% sensitivity and specificity, serum TGF β1 had 94.4% sensitivity and 90% specificity while
serum creatinine had 88.9% sensitivity and 80% specificity in detecting nephrotoxicity.
Conclusion and recommendations: Serum cystatin C is a better marker in
detecting early nephrotoxicity than either serum TGF β1 or serum creatinine thus, we recommend its use as
a routine marker for the evaluation of kidney functions in organic solvents nephrotoxicity.