title: Investigation of potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of cellular stability after the exposure of agricultural workers to pesticides.
abstract: Agricultural workers involved in the harvest of tobacco crops are regularly exposed to large quantities of pesticides. In order to determine how this exposure to pesticides induces genetic alterations in these workers, blood samples were obtained from 77 exposed individuals, as well as from 60 unexposed subjects. DNA damage was analyzed by the Comet assay and by the micronucleus (MN) test. The antioxidant profile was evaluated by activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the polymorphism of gene PON1 was used as a susceptibility biomarker. The content of inorganic elements in the blood samples was determined by PIXE analysis. Our results demonstrated that the damage frequency, damage index, the MN frequency, and the SOD activity were significantly elevated in the exposed relative to the unexposed group. A modulation of the MN results for the PON1 gene was observed in the exposed group. The concentrations of inorganic elements in the exposed group were higher compared to those of the unexposed group. In this study, we observed that genetic damage, and change in oxidative balance were induced by the exposure of workers to complex mixtures of pesticides in the presence of inorganic compounds, whereby an influence of the genotype was evident.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genética Toxicológica, Universidade Luterana do Brasil, Canoas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jodel S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Centro Universitário La Salle, Canoas, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Fernanda R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genética Toxicológica, Universidade Luterana do Brasil, Canoas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabrieli F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mirian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salvador
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kátia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kvitko
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rohr
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carla E I
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Johnny F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: João A P
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Henriques
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genética Toxicológica, Universidade Luterana do Brasil, Canoas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: da Silva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D000067565:Farmers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood*; D014026:Nicotiana
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010575:Pesticides; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase