title: Lack of genotoxic effect in workers exposed to very low doses of 1,3-butadiene.
abstract: 1,3-Butadiene (BD), a probable carcinogen to humans, has been shown to have an ill-defined genotoxicity in occupationally exposed workers. In the present study, the influence of exposure to very low doses of BD and to cigarette smoking was investigated on some cytogenetic endpoints, namely, sister chromatid exchanges (SCE), chromosomal aberrations (CA) and cells with a high frequency of SCE (HFC), in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Twenty-seven male workers employed in a petrochemical plant and 26 matched controls were included in the study. As regards the airborne BD values, there was a significant difference between exposed (median BD value 1.5, min-max 0.2-69.0 microg/m3) and non-exposed workers (median BD value 0.4, min-max <0.1-3.8 microg/m3). Genotoxic biomarkers were not able to distinguish between the two groups. The frequency of SCE was higher in smokers than in non-smokers (p=0.001), with a positive correlation between the number of cigarettes smoked per day and both SCE (r=0.4; p=0.004) and HFC frequency (r=0.3; p=0.04). Multiple regression analysis confirmed the influence of cigarette smoking on the level of SCE and HFC, while these parameters were not affected by personal exposure to BD. Overall, the biomarkers of genotoxic effect investigated in our study were not able to discriminate between workers with a very low exposure to BD and controls, while it was possible to distinguish between smokers and non-smokers on the basis of SCE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Public Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lovreglio
authors.forename: Nenad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bukvic
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fustinoni
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ballini
authors.forename: Ignazio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Drago
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Foà
authors.forename: Ginevra
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guanti
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Soleo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002070:Butadienes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009153:Mutagens / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange / Q000187:drug effects*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D015415:Biomarkers; D002070:Butadienes; D009153:Mutagens; C031763:1,3-butadiene