Risk assessment of welders using analysis of eight metals by ICP-MS in blood and urine and DNA damage evaluation by the comet and micronucleus assays; influence of XRCC1 and XRCC3 polymorphisms.
The aims of the present study were to assess the occupational risk of welders using analysis of metals in biological fluids, DNA damage evaluation by complementary genotoxic endpoints and the incidence of polymorphisms in DNA repair genes. A biomonitoring study was conducted that included biometrology (blood and urinary concentrations of aluminium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead, manganese, nickel, zinc by ICP-MS), comet and cytokinesis-block micronucleus assays in peripheral lymphocytes and genetic polymorphisms of XRCC1 (p.Arg399Gln) and XRCC3 (p.Thr241Met). This study included 60 male welders divided into two groups: group 1 working without any collective protection device and group 2 equipped with smoke extraction systems. A control group (n = 30) was also included in the study. Higher chromium, lead and nickel blood and urinary concentrations were detected in the two groups of welders compared to controls. Statistically differences between welders of group 1 and group 2 were found for blood concentration of cobalt and urinary concentrations of aluminium, chromium, lead and nickel. The alkaline comet assay revealed that welders had a significant increase of OTMchi2 distribution at the end of a work week compared to the beginning; a significant induction of DNA strand breaks at the end of the week was observed in 20 welders out of 30. The cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay showed that welders of group 1 had a higher frequency of chromosomal damage than controls. The XRCC1 variant allele coding Gln amino acid at position 399 was found to be associated with a higher number of DNA breaks as revealed by the comet assay. Increased metal concentrations in biological fluids, DNA breaks and chromosomal damage in lymphocytes emphasized the need to develop safety programmes for welders.
Iarmarcovai
G
G
Laboratoire de Biogénotoxicologie et Mutagenèse Environnementale, Facultés de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France. gwenaelle.iarmarcovai@medecine.univ-mrs.fr
Sari-Minodier
I
I
Chaspoul
F
F
Botta
C
C
De Méo
M
M
Orsière
T
T
Bergé-Lefranc
J L
JL
Gallice
P
P
Botta
A
A
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000652:urine*; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014896:Welding; D000076105:X-ray Repair Cross Complementing Protein 1
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D008670:Metals; D000076105:X-ray Repair Cross Complementing Protein 1; C110901:X-ray repair cross complementing protein 3; C000619371:XRCC1 protein, human