title: Genetic damage in coal miners evaluated by buccal micronucleus cytome assay.
abstract: During coal mining activities, large quantities of coal dust, ashes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals are released into the environment. This complex mixture presents one of the most important occupational hazards for health of workers. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the genetic damage together with the presence of inorganic elements, in an exposed workers population to coal mining residues of Guajira-Colombia. Thus, 100 exposed workers and 100 non-exposed control individuals were included in this study. To determine genetic damage we assessed the micronucleus (MN) frequencies and nuclear buds in buccal mucosa samples (BMCyt) assay, which were significantly higher in the exposed group than non-exposed control group. In addition, karyorrhectic and karyolytic cells were also significantly higher in the exposed group (cell death). No significant difference was observed between the exposed groups engaged in different mining activities. No correlation between age, alcohol consumption, time of service and MN assay data were found in this study. However, the content of inorganic elements in blood samples analyzed by a Particle-induced X-ray emission technique (PIXE) showed higher values of silicon (Si) and aluminum (Al) in the exposed group. In this study we discuss the possibility of DNA damage observed in the mine workers cells be a consequence of oxidative damage.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biofísica, Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. Electronic address: grethelleon@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Grethel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: León-Mejía
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Genética y Biología Molecular, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Barranquilla, Colombia.
authors.forename: Milton
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quintana
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Implantação Iônica, Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Rafaela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Debastiani
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Implantação Iônica, Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Johnny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigación Biomédica y Biología Molecular, Universidad del Sinú, Montería, Colombia.
authors.forename: Lyda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Espitia-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biofísica, Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil; Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade de Caxias do Sul (UCS), Caxias do Sul, RS, Brasil. Electronic address: pegas@cbiot.ufrgs.br.
authors.forename: João Antônio Pêgas
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Henriques
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genética Toxicológica, Universidade Luterana do Brasil (ULBRA), Canoas-RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Da Silva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016923:Cell Death; D003031:Coal / Q000009:adverse effects; D003032:Coal Mining; D004249:DNA Damage; D004391:Dust; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015162:Micronucleus Tests / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000009:adverse effects; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003031:Coal; D004391:Dust; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
keywords: Buccal micronucleus cytome assay; Coal; Coal miners; Inorganic elements; Occupational exposure