[Relationship of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure with peripheral blood lymphocyte DNA damage in coke oven workers].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between lymphocyte DNA damage and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure in coke oven workers.


METHODS
Two hundred and thirty-five coke oven workers and 30 controls were selected in this study. Alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis was used to evaluate the lymphocyte DNA damage, HPLC was employed to measure 1-hydroxypyrene levels in spot urine samples which were obtained at the end of a workweek (4 days of 8 hours/day) and personal information including occupational exposure, age, sex, smoking and drinking status was collected by the questionnaire.


RESULTS
The lymphocyte DNA damage level expressed as olive moment in coke oven workers was significantly higher than that of controls [2.47 (0.22 approximately 46.68) vs 0.94 (0.42 approximately 4.21), P < 0.01], and correlation between urinary 1-hydroxypyrene concentrations and olive moment was found (Spearman Partial correlation coefficient = 0.22, P < 0.01) in coke oven workers. The 1.9 of olive moment value was used as the limit to determine whether the subject DNA damage was positive. The coke oven workers had significantly higher risk in DNA damage (adjusted OR = 5.38, 95% CI = 2.07 approximately 14.08) than did controls, and dose-response relationships were also found between external exposure (exposure category) or internal doses (urinary 1-hydroxypyrene) and DNA damage.


CONCLUSIONS
There are dose-effect and dose-response relationships between PAHs exposure and lymphocyte DNA damage in coke oven workers.
Leng
Shu-Guang
SG
National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China.
Zheng
Yu-Xin
YX
Niu
Yong
Y
Gu
Ye-Ping
YP
Zhang
Wen-Zhong
WZ
Dai
Yu-Fei
YF
Wang
Ya-Wen
YW
Li
Xiao-Hua
XH
Pan
Zu-Fei
ZF
Xiao
Jun
J
Wang
Zhong-Xu
ZX
Li
Tao
T
He
Feng-Sheng
FS
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003077:Coke / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000506:poisoning*; D011721:Pyrenes / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D003077:Coke; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D011721:Pyrenes; C033146:1-hydroxypyrene