title: Comparison of aneuploidies of chromosomes 21, X, and Y in the blood lymphocytes and sperm of workers exposed to benzene.
abstract: Benzene is a primary industrial chemical and a ubiquitous environmental pollutant that causes human leukemia and maybe other malignancies. Occupational exposure to benzene has been associated with increased chromosomal aneuploidies in blood lymphocytes and, in separate studies, in sperm. However, aneuploidy detection in somatic and germ cells within the same benzene-exposed individuals has never been reported. To compare aneuploidies in blood lymphocytes and sperm within the same individuals exposed to benzene, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 33 benzene-exposed male workers and 33 unexposed workers from Chinese factories. Air benzene concentrations in the exposed workers ranged from below the detection limit to 24 ppm (median, 2.9 ppm) and were undetectable in the unexposed subjects. Aneuploidies of chromosomes 21, X, and Y in blood lymphocytes were examined by multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization and were compared to the previously reported aneuploidies in sperm. The results showed that benzene exposure was positively associated with the gain of chromosome 21 but not sex chromosomes in blood lymphocytes. This was in contrast to analysis of sperm, where the gain of sex chromosomes, but not chromosome 21, was significantly increased in the exposed workers. Furthermore, a significant correlation in the gain of sex chromosomes between blood lymphocytes and sperm was observed among the unexposed subjects, but not among the exposed workers. The findings suggest that benzene exposure induces aneuploidies in both blood cells and sperm within the same individuals, but selectively affects chromosome 21 in blood lymphocytes and the sex chromosomes in sperm.
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
authors.forename: Zhiying
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Rosana H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Weldon
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Guilan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Caihong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kurtovich
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Suramya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Waidyanatha
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rappaport
authors.forename: Luoping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eskenazi
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects; D000782:Aneuploidy; D001554:Benzene / Q000633:toxicity*; D002681:China; D002891:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21 / Q000187:drug effects*; D041321:Chromosomes, Human, X / Q000187:drug effects*; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000187:drug effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D001554:Benzene