title: Inhalative exposure to vanadium pentoxide causes DNA damage in workers: results of a multiple end point study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inhalative exposure to vanadium pentoxide (V(2)O(5)) causes lung cancer in rodents.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of V(2)O(5) on DNA stability in workers from a V(2)O(5) factory.
  
  
  METHODS
  We determined DNA strand breaks in leukocytes of 52 workers and controls using the alkaline comet assay. We also investigated different parameters of chromosomal instability in lymphocytes of 23 workers and 24 controls using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (MN) cytome method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven of eight biomarkers were increased in blood cells of the workers, and vanadium plasma concentrations in plasma were 7-fold higher than in the controls (0.31 microg/L). We observed no difference in DNA migration under standard conditions, but we found increased tail lengths due to formation of oxidized purines (7%) and pyrimidines (30%) with lesion-specific enzymes (formamidopyrimidine glycosylase and endonuclease III) in the workers. Bleomycin-induced DNA migration was higher in the exposed group (25%), whereas the repair of bleomycin-induced lesions was reduced. Workers had a 2.5-fold higher MN frequency, and nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs) and nuclear buds (Nbuds) were increased 7-fold and 3-fold, respectively. Also, apoptosis and necrosis rates were higher, but only the latter parameter reached statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  V(2)O(5) causes oxidation of DNA bases, affects DNA repair, and induces formation of MNs, NPBs, and Nbuds in blood cells, suggesting that the workers are at increased risk for cancer and other diseases that are related to DNA instability.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Veronika A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Ehrlich
authors.forename: Armen K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Nersesyan
authors.forename: Kambis
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Atefie
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hoelzl
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferk
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bichler
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Valic
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schaffer
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schulte-Hermann
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fenech
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knasmüller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004249:DNA Damage; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D017968:Vanadium Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D017968:Vanadium Compounds; C066075:vanadium pentoxide