Investigation of Paraoxonase 1 Activity in Factory Workers Having Long-Term Contact with Organophosphorus Compounds

The liver enzyme paraoxonase 1 (PON1) plays an important role in protecting the body from the toxic effects of organophosphorus compounds (OPs) through their hydrolysis. PON1 activity is determined by the polymorphic loci of the PON1 gene. In this work, the polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction analysis was used to type the polymorphic loci Q191R, L54M, and C(–108)T of the PON1 gene, and PON1 activity was measured in 68 male factory workers having long-term contact with OPs and in the control group (N = 37). PON1 activity among factory workers relative to the substrate of paraoxone was increased in comparison with the control group (p < 0.05). It is shown that the increase in PON1 activity in factory workers having long-term contact with OPs is modulated by genotypes of the PON1 gene.