Applicability of the comet assay in evaluation of DNA damage in healthcare providers' working with antineoplastic drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Unintended occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs (ANDs) may occur in medical personnel. Some ANDs are known human carcinogens and exposure can be monitored by genotoxic biomarkers.



To evaluate the obstacles to obtaining conclusive results from a comet assay test to determine DNA damage among AND exposed healthcare workers.



We systematically reviewed studies that used alkaline comet assay to determine the magnitude and significance of DNA damage among health care workers with potential AND exposure. Fifteen studies were eligible for review and 14 studies were used in the meta-analysis.



Under random effect assumption, the estimated standardized mean difference (SMD) in the DNA damage of health care workers was 1.93 (95% CI: 1.15-2.71, p < 0.0001). The resulting SMD was reduced to 1.756 (95% CI: 0.992-2.52, p < 0.0001) when the analysis only included nurses. In subgroup analyses based on gender and smoking, heterogeneity was observed. Only for studies reporting comet moment, I2 test results, as a measure of heterogeneity, dropped to zero. Heterogeneity analysis showed that date of study publication was a possible source of heterogeneity (B = -0.14; p < 0.0001).



A mixture of personal parameters, comet assay methodological variables, and exposure characteristics may be responsible for heterogenic data from comet assay studies and interfere with obtaining conclusive results. Lack of quantitative environmental exposure measures and variation in comet assay protocols across studies are important obstacles in generalization of results.
a Faculty of Health, Department of Occupational Health , Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences , Yazd , Iran.
Mohammad Javad
MJ
Zare Sakhvidi
b Faculty of Health, Department of Occupational Health , Urmia University of Medical Sciences , Urmia , Iran.
Mohammad
M
Hajaghazadeh
c Faculty of Medicine, Department of Occupational Medicine , Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences , Yazd , Iran.
Mehrdad
M
Mostaghaci
c Faculty of Medicine, Department of Occupational Medicine , Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences , Yazd , Iran.
Amir Houshang
AH
Mehrparvar
d Faculty of Health, Department of Occupational Health , Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences , Yazd , Iran.
Fariba
F
Zare Sakhvidi
e Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan , Iran.
Elham
E
Naghshineh
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009153:Mutagens
Antineoplastic drugs; Comet assay; DNA damage; Genotoxicity; Health care workers; Occupational exposure