Analysis of biomarkers in a Czech population exposed to heavy air pollution. Part I: bulky DNA adducts

Abstract

The health of human populations living in industrial regions is negatively affected by exposure to environmental air pollutants. In this study, we investigated the impact of air pollution on a cohort of subjects living in Ostrava, a heavily polluted industrial region and compared it with a cohort of individuals from the relatively clean capital city of Prague. This study consisted of three sampling periods differing in the concentrations of major air pollutants (winter 2009, summer 2009 and winter 2010). During all sampling periods, the study subjects from Ostrava region were exposed to significantly higher concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and benzene than the subjects in Prague as measured by personal monitors. Pollution by B[a]P, particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter <2.5 µm (PM2.5) and benzene in the Ostrava region measured by stationary monitors was also higher than in Prague, with the exception of PM2.5 in summer 2009 when concentration of the pollutant was significantly elevated in Prague. To evaluate DNA damage in subjects from both locations we determined the levels of bulky DNA adducts in peripheral blood lymphocytes using the (32)P-postlabeling method. Despite higher B[a]P air pollution in the Ostrava region during all sampling periods, the levels of B[a]P-like DNA adducts per 10(8) nucleotides were significantly higher in the Ostrava subjects only in winter 2009 (mean ± SD: 0.21 ± 0.06 versus 0.28 ± 0.08 adducts/10(8) nucleotides, P < 0.001 for Prague and Ostrava subjects, respectively; P < 0.001). During the other two sampling periods, the levels of B[a]P-like DNA adducts were significantly higher in the Prague subjects (P < 0.001). Multivariate analyses conducted among subjects from Ostrava and Prague separately during all sampling periods revealed that exposure to B[a]P and PM2.5 significantly increased levels of B[a]P-like DNA adducts in the Ostrava subjects, but not in subjects from Prague.

Detectable Clonal Mosaicism in the Human Genome

“…Nonetheless, it is plausible that exposure to DNA mutagens such as ultraviolet radiation 30 , ionizing radiation 31 , air pollution such as tobacco smoke and diesel exhaust 32–34 , and industrial chemicals 35, 36 can initiate the formation of DNA adducts and strand breaks that when not sufficiently repaired by cellular machinery may result in genomic changes that favor selection of subclones. Studying the effects of such environmental exposures on the genome and identifying exposure dosages and key developmental windows that are most susceptible to the effects of these environmental exposures will be critical in uncovering the basic mechanisms of genome instability as well as factors promoting clonal expansion.…”

Exocyclic DNA adducts in sheep with skeletal fluorosis resident in the proximity of the Portoscuso-Portovesme industrial estate on Sardinia Island, Italy

“…Therefore, the heavy metals emitted from the non-ferrous metallurgy estate 9,11 may also play a relevant role in the formation of exocyclic DNA adducts. 34,35,[58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65] Recently, we evaluated the association between the residential proximity to large oil-refinery and petrochemical complexes and oxidatively damaged DNA. 51 Experimental exposures to Cd in drinking water were also associated with increased levels of LPO by-products and decreased antioxidant defence in rodents.…”

Potential Application of Benzo(a)Pyrene-Associated Adducts (Globin or Lipid) as Blood Biomarkers for Target Organ Exposure and Human Risk Assessment

“…the typical ambient monitoring approach (Choi et al, 1996;Rossner et al, 2013). Further, these biomarkers may be used not only for quantitative analysis of human exposure and risk assessment, but also to perform qualitative risk assessments that may predict the progress of chemical carcinogenesis as well as target organ toxicity (Jiang et al, 2013;Nie et al, 2012).…”