A cross-sectional study of workers with occupational exposure to petroleum derivatives.

Expression of human involucrin (hINV) a protein of the cornified cell envelope,was studied in the skin of gasoline storage workers, in order to evaluate theeffects of the exposure to petroleum derivatives. A total of 25 forearm skinpunch biopsies were carried out. Twenty of which were performed on exposedsubjects and five on controls. The specimens were processed forimmunohistochemistry and hINV expression was evaluated using an anti-hINVmonoclonal antibody and the ABC technique. Percentage of immunolabeledkeratinocytes was significantly higher in subjects exposed to gasoline withrespect to the control sample. A premature hINV expression was detected both insuprapapillary and interpapillary keratinocytes. Such overexpression of hINVseems to be related to an attempt of increasing skin defence mechanism. Thereforeit was concluded that also in absence of clinical skin manifestation the exposureto gasoline determines an involvement of keratinocytes on molecular basis.