title: Biological monitoring of Italian soldiers deployed in Iraq. Results of the SIGNUM project.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leukemia/lymphoma cases reported in 2001 among United Nation soldiers or peacekeepers deployed to the Balkans aroused alert on the exposure to depleted uranium. Recent epidemiological studies carried out in different European countries among peacekeepers who served in the Balkans failed to demonstrate a higher than expected risk of all cancers but, mostly due to their limitations in size and follow up time, leave open the debate on health risk of depleted uranium. The aim of SIGNUM (Study of the Genotoxic Impact in Military Units) was to identify potential genotoxic risk associated with the exposure to depleted uranium or other pollutants in the Italian Army military personnel deployed in Iraq.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood and urine samples were collected before and after the deployment from 981 Italian soldiers operating in Iraq in 2004-2005. As, Cd, Mo, Ni, Pb, U, V, W, and Zr were determined in urine and serum. DNA-adducts, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanine and micronuclei frequency were evaluated in blood lymphocytes. Three different genetic polymorphisms, GSTM1, XRCC1, OGG1 were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant T0-T1 reduction in the total concentration of uranium, increases for Cd, Mo, Ni, Zr, and decreases for As, Pb, W, and V in urine and plasma were observed. Increases in oxidative alterations and in micronuclei frequency, included in the range of values of non-occupationally exposed populations, were observed at the end of the period of employment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results did not detect any toxicologically relevant variation of DNA-damage biomarkers related to the deployment in the operational theater.
authors: IRCCS AUO San Martino-IST Istituto Nazionale Ricerca sul Cancro, Genoa, Italy. Electronic address: claudia.bolognesi@hsanmartino.it.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Bolognesi
authors: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Lucia
authors: L
authors: Migliore
authors: Army Medical and Veterinary Research Center, Rome, Italy.
authors: Florigio
authors: F
authors: Lista
authors: Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), Rome, Italy.
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Caroli
authors: Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), Rome, Italy.
authors: Marina
authors: M
authors: Patriarca
authors: National Centre for Epidemiology, Surveillance and Health Promotion (CNESPS), Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), Rome, Italy.
authors: Roberta
authors: R
authors: De Angelis
authors: National Centre for Epidemiology, Surveillance and Health Promotion (CNESPS), Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), Rome, Italy.
authors: Riccardo
authors: R
authors: Capocaccia
authors: Tor Vergata University Hospital, Roma, Italy.
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Amadori
authors: IRCCS AUO San Martino-IST Istituto Nazionale Ricerca sul Cancro, Genoa, Italy.
authors: Alessandra
authors: A
authors: Pulliero
authors: IRCCS AUO San Martino-IST Istituto Nazionale Ricerca sul Cancro, Genoa, Italy.
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Balia
authors: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Renato
authors: R
authors: Colognato
authors: Ministry of Defence, General Staff, Rome, Italy.
authors: Vincenzo
authors: V
authors: La Gioia
authors: Unit of Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy.
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Bonassi
authors: IRCCS AUO San Martino-IST Istituto Nazionale Ricerca sul Cancro, Genoa, Italy; Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Genova, Italy.
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Izzotti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004249:DNA Damage; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D006801:Humans; D007493:Iraq; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D008889:Military Personnel; D009153:Mutagens / Q000032:analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000652:urine; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000652:urine; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012306:Risk; D014501:Uranium / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D000067453:War Exposure; D054041:Weapons
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D009153:Mutagens; D014501:Uranium
keywords: Biomonitoring; Chromosome rearrangements; Cytogenetic damage; DNA adducts; Depleted uranium; Micronuclei; Oxidative damage; Xenobiotics