title: Effects of a 6-month vitamin intervention on DNA damage in heavy smokers.
abstract: Because their formation is associated with tumor development in specific tissues, DNA adducts have potential usefulness as intermediate end points in chemoprevention studies. To determine the efficacy of a combination of antioxidant vitamins (vitamins C and E and beta-carotene), a randomized clinical trial was conducted among heavy smokers using DNA damage as the end point. Immunological methods were used to measure polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts and oxidative DNA damage (8-oxo or hydroxydeoxyguanosine) in mononuclear and oral cells. A total of 121 subjects were randomized to the 6-month intervention and received either vitamins or placebo. Dropout rates were higher in the placebo than in the vitamin group; 65% of subjects in the vitamin group, but only 47% in the placebo group, provided specimens at 6 months. Plasma levels of all three antioxidants rose significantly in the vitamin group but not in the placebo group. All four measures of DNA damage decreased in both groups; the between-group differences were not statistically significant. These data do not provide clear evidence that antioxidant vitamin intake prevents DNA damage. However, the study demonstrates that DNA damage is a useful end point in chemoprevention trials.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Begg
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Norkus
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Santella
mesh_terms: D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D000328:Adult; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018736:DNA Adducts / Q000032:analysis; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D003849:Deoxyguanosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018736:DNA Adducts; D019207:beta Carotene; D014810:Vitamin E; D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D003849:Deoxyguanosine; D001205:Ascorbic Acid