Objective: To detect the changes of serum tumor markers of vinyl chloride, and find the influencing factors of tumor markers.
Methods: Two hundred and twenty-three workers exposed to vinyl chloride from a chlor alkali plant and one hundred and forty-nine workers without occupational exposure to vinyl chloride were recruited into this study. Detected 11 tumor markers in serum of the objective.
Results: The contentsof carcino-embryonic antigen( CEA), alpha-fetoprotein( AFP), CA-199 and CA72-4 in exposed group increased with the length of service, while the content of neuron-specific enolase( NSE) decreased with the length of service, but there was no correlation between contents of tumor markers and the length of service, which had no statistical significance( P > 0. 05). By univariate analysis, the difference between the exposed group and the control group in the level of thiodiglycolic acid had statistical significance( Z =-16. 178, P < 0. 001). By univariate analysis, gender had effect on CEA, AFP and NSE( Z =-4. 815, -2. 052 and-4. 535, P < 0. 05), smoking had effect on CA-199( Z =-2. 016, P < 0. 05), vinyl chloride exposure had effect on AFP and NSE( Z =-3. 763 and-2. 140, P < 0. 05). By multivariate analysis, CEA and NSE of women were lower than those of men( t =-3. 696 and-5. 722, P < 0. 05). That vinyl chloride exposure was a factor in NSE and NSE of the exposed group were higher than the control group( t =2. 061, P < 0. 05).
Conclusion: Under the current exposure concentration, exposure to vinyl chloride can change the contents of tumor markers. As the time of exposure to harmful factors increases, the level of tumor markers changes, and the possibility of tumor increases. The level of thiodiglycolic acid may be related to some tumor markers. The influencing factors of different tumor markers are different.
Keywords: occupational exposure; tumor markers; vinyl chloride.