Petrol exposure and DNA integrity of peripheral lymphocytes

Association among blood BPDE-DNA adduct, serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) and DNA strand breaks for children with pulmonary diseases

Exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) may be a risk factor for pulmonary diseases. To investigate the correlations among B[a]P exposure level, DNA strand breaks and pulmonary inflammation, we recruited 83 children diagnosed with pulmonary diseases and 63 healthy children from Guangzhou, China. Results showed that the levels of Benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE) DNA adduct in blood and IL-8 in serum in case group were significantly higher than those in control group (p < 0.01). Moreover, levels of atmospheric B[a]P in case group was about twice of those in control group, which was consistent with the levels of BPDE-DNA adduct in blood. Significant positive correlations were observed among the levels of BPDE-DNA adduct, IL-8 and DNA strand breaks (p < 0.05). Our findings indicate that environmental air is an important exposure source of B[a]P and higher B[a]P exposure may contribute to the occurrence of pulmonary inflammation and lead to high health risks.

Public health issues from crude-oil production in the Ecuadorian Amazon territories

Crude oil production (COP) is a high-pollution industry but the vast Amazon rainforest has been an active COP zone for South America. Although COP has been associated with a variety of health effects among workers around the world, such effects have not been adequately investigated in the Amazon region, especially at the community level. Therefore, this review was conducted to provide a report about COP in the Amazon of Ecuador and about its association with health status of indigenous human populations. Some epidemiological surveys in the Amazonian Territories indicate that COP has been associated with health problems in the surrounding populations, e.g. cancers in the stomach, rectum, skin, soft tissue, kidney and cervix in adults, and leukemia in children. In addition, some biomarkers and mechanistic studies show exposure effects. However, due to limitations from these studies, contradictory associations have been reported. Our review indicates that COP in the Amazonian territories of northern Ecuador was characterised by contamination which could have affected the indigenous and non-indigenous populations. However, there have not been dedicated investigations to provide relationships between the contamination and the subsequent exposure-health effects. Since indigenous populations have different lifestyle and cultures from regular city dwellers, systematic studies on their potential health hazards need to be conducted. Due to the remote locations and sparse populations, these new studies may involve the use of novel and genomic-based biomarkers as well as using high technology in the remote regions.

Recent Studies on DNA Adducts Resulting from Human Exposure to Tobacco Smoke

DNA adducts are believed to play a central role in the induction of cancer in cigarette smokers and are proposed as being potential biomarkers of cancer risk. We have summarized research conducted since 2012 on DNA adduct formation in smokers. A variety of DNA adducts derived from various classes of carcinogens, including aromatic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, tobacco-specific nitrosamines, alkylating agents, aldehydes, volatile carcinogens, as well as oxidative damage have been reported. The results are discussed with particular attention to the analytical methods used in those studies. Mass spectrometry-based methods that have higher selectivity and specificity compared to 32P-postlabeling or immunochemical approaches are preferred. Multiple DNA adducts specific to tobacco constituents have also been characterized for the first time in vitro or detected in vivo since 2012, and descriptions of those adducts are included. We also discuss common issues related to measuring DNA adducts in humans, including the development and validation of analytical methods and prevention of artifact formation.

Buccal micronucleus assay in human populations from Sicily (Italy) exposed to petrochemical industry pollutants

Petroleum refinery workers are potentially exposed to a wide range of petrochemical industry pollutants (PIP), such as benzene and 1,3-butadiene, cancer-related compounds classified as carcinogenic to humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytogenetic effects of exposure to PIP from two industrialised areas in South/East Sicily (Italy) using a micronucleus (MN) assay and other nuclear anomalies (ONA) on exfoliated buccal cells. Results highlighted not only a statistically significant high level of increase of MN in petroleum refinery (PR) workers, but also in the subjects not working in PR but living in the industrialised area. The ONA analysis showed a highly significant increase in karyolytic cells in exposed vs unexposed subjects, in contrast to a decrease in differentiated cells. These results suggest the presence of a cytotoxic effect in the oral mucosa cells, probably related to the pollutant compounds present in the environment close to the petrochemical industries. Our data confirm that the analysis of exfoliated buccal cells is a useful and simple non-invasive method to evaluate the genotoxic/cytotoxic effects of pollutants in a specific area. To avoid confounding factors due to the different lifestyles of the human subjects, the above assays could be better applied on farm animals, which have a relatively consistent lifestyle and, in some cases, a very low genetic heterogeneity.

Primary DNA Damage in Dry Cleaners with Perchlorethylene Exposure

BACKGROUND

Perchloroethylene is a halogenated solvent widely used in dry cleaning. International agency of research on cancer classified this chemical as a probable human carcinogen.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the extent of primary DNA damage in dry cleaner workers who were exposed to perchloroethylene as compared to non-exposed subjects. The effect of exposure modifying factors such as use of personal protective equipment, perceived risk, and reported safe behaviors on observed DNA damage were also studied.

METHODS

59 exposed and non-exposed workers were selected from Yazd, Iran. All the 33 exposed workers had work history at least 3 months in the dry cleaning shops. Peripheral blood sampling was performed. Microscope examination was performed under fluorescent microscope (400×). Open comet software was used for image analysis. All biological analysis was performed in one laboratory.

RESULTS

Primary DNA damage to leukocytes in dry cleaners was relatively high. The median tail length, %DNA in tail, and tail moment in exposed group were significantly higher than those in non-exposed group. There was no significant difference between smokers and nonsmokers in terms of tail length, tail moment, and %DNA in tail. There was no significant correlation between duration of employment in dry cleaning and observed DNA damage in terms of tail length, tail moment and %DNA in tail. Stratified analysis based on exposed and nonexposed category showed no significant relationship between age and observed DNA damage.

CONCLUSION

Occupationally exposure to perchloroethylene can cause early DNA damage in dry cleaners.