Objective To assess the changes of neurobehavioral function and metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1) expression in workers currently employed in a coal-methanol plant.
Methods A total of 95 workers in a desulphurization work station of a coal-methanol plant were selected as an exposure group, and 122 administration staff as a control group. The neurobehavioral function of all participants were evaluated according to the Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery (NCTB) recommended by the World Health Organization, and mGluR1 expression was determined by ELISA method.
Results The median scores of tension-anxiety and vigor-activity in the exposure group were 52.75 and 49.92, respectively, both higher than those of the control group (50.73 and 45.77), but the median scores of anger-hostility, fatigue-inertia, and confusion-bewilderment were 49.88, 49.17, and 51.13, respectively, all lower than those of the control group (52.96, 51.47, and 51.13) (P< 0.01). The medians of hit number, correct hit number, digit symbol, forward total, backward total, and digit span in the exposure group were 1.93, 51.92, 50.06, 48.01, 54.51, and 52.92, respectively, all higher than those of the control group (51.52, 50.21, 47.66, 41.60, 48.24, and 50.34); however, the median of wrong hit number in the exposure group (49.24) was lower than that of the control group (51.52) (all P< 0.01). The mGluR1 content in the exposure group was 2.11 ng/L, also statistically lower than that of the control group (2.24 ng/L) (P< 0.01). Associations were found between neurobehavioral function with mGluR1 content. The correlation coefficients of mGluR1 content with hit number, correct hit number, digit symbol, forward total, backward total, and digit span were 0.180, 0.193, -0.071, 0.025, -0.167, -0.031, and -0.080, respectively (all P< 0.01).
Conclusion The working environment of coal-methanol production may influence workers' neurobehavioral function and reduce mGluR1 contents.
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