Reticulocytes and solvents: an epidemiological study.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to look for a rise in reticulocyte levels in workers exposed to various solvents, in comparison to non exposed control subjects.

Methods: A cohort of exposed workers was selected on the criterion of exposure to solvents, among employees regularly attending the Centre of Occupational Medicine of Molsheim (France) during the second trimester of 1995. Controls were selected over the same period from the voluntary blood donors of the Transfusion Centre of Strasbourg (France). Complete blood counts and flow cytometric reticulocyte counts were determined in all blood samples.

Results: Analysis of the haematological parameters displaying significant differences revealed the existence of higher levels of circulating reticulocytes and lymphocytes in workers exposed to solvents than in control subjects. These variations did not appear to depend on the intensity or length of exposure.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates the occurrence of an increase in circulating reticulocytes in relation to occupational exposure to solvents, without as yet providing sufficient information to allow elucidation of the underlying mechanism. An increase in total circulating lymphocytes was observed in the same group of exposed workers. The concomitant rise in absolute values of these two elements of the blood counts is to our knowledge described here for the first time in an epidemiological study.