Endothelin-1 as a risk factor causing cardiovascular pathology in young and middle-aged people employed under hazardous working conditions

Our research goal was to reveal peculiarities related to changes in endothelin-1 contents in blood serum in young and middle-aged people exposed to occupational noise and industrial welding and silicon-containing aerosols with fibrogenic effects. Another goal was to establish a correlation between endothelin-1 contents and blood pressure, body mass, and dyslipidemia. We examined workers employed at a metallurgic plant in Nizhniy Novgorod region. Endothelin-1 concentration in blood serum was determined with «Endothelin (1-21)», a reagent kit for ELISA produced by «Biomedica Medizinprodukte GmbH & Co KG» (Austria). We detected certain group differences in endothelin-1 contents in blood serum and frequency of its elevated concentrations between workers who had to work under different working conditions. We established a direct correlation between endothelin-1 and blood pressure, total cholesterol, and body mass index. Elevated endothelin-1 contents in people suffering from arterial hypertension can indicate a higher risk of complications this disease might have. People who have elevated endothelin-1 contents but normal blood pressure, total cholesterol within physiological standard and normal body mass index can be recommended to have regular medical check-ups focusing on functional state of their cardiovascular system; endothelin-1 in this case should be considered a risk factor that might cause cardiovascular pathology occurrence. An individual approach is required when assessing elevated endothelin-1 contents and probable use of this parameter as a risk factor that might cause cardiovascular pathology in young and middle-aged people employed under hazardous working conditions.