Exposure to Ethylene Oxide in Hospitals: Biological Monitoring and Influence of Glutathione S-Transferase and Epoxide Hydrolase Polymorphisms

Abstract

Ethylene oxide is considered as a human carcinogen. A biomarker of exposure would be a useful instrument to assess the risk in occupationally exposed workers. This cross-sectional study aimed at examining (a) whether the urinary excretion of a metabolite of ethylene oxide, 2-hydroxyethyl mercapturic acid (HEMA), could be used for monitoring occupational exposure and (b) whether glutathione S-transferase (GST) and epoxide hydrolase genotypes influenced biological monitoring. Exposure to ethylene oxide was measured by personal sampling in 80 hospital workers (95% of those eligible). HEMA concentrations were determined in three urine samples (baseline, end of shift, and next morning) by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. GSTs (GSTT1, GSTM1, and GSTP1) and epoxide hydrolase (EPHX1) were also genotyped. The influence of exposure, genotypes, and several other factors was examined in multiple regression analyses. Exposure was always <1 parts per million. On a group basis, exposure and a non-null GSTT1 genotype increased the HEMA concentrations in the urine sample collected at the end of the shift and these factors remained statistically significant after considering possible confounding or modifying factors. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(4):796 -802)

Evaluation of Genomic Damage in Peripheral Lymphocytes from Occupationally Exposed Anesthetists: Assessment of the Effects of Age, Sex, and GSTT1 Gene Polymorphism

“…Alkylating agents, such as ethylene oxide, are principally metabolized by conjugation to glutathione by GSTT1 . It is plausible that carriers of GSTT1 genotype, with high enzyme activity, are better protected against ethylene oxide and other alkylating agents . Among controls, we did not observe an influence of the GSTT1 gene polymorphism on the frequencies of SCEs and CAs.…”

Urinary biomarkers of smokers’ exposure to tobacco smoke constituents in tobacco products assessment: a fit for purpose approach

“…An elimination half-life of <5 h (Haufroid et al . , 2007) could be problematic in study design (e.g. time since last product use would be a critical datum) and, although the sample is stable to repeated freeze–thaw cycles (Ding et al .…”

Determination of methyl-, 2-hydroxyethyl- and 2-cyanoethylmercapturic acids as biomarkers of exposure to alkylating agents in cigarette smoke

“…These levels correspond to urinary excretion rates of 21.1 and 5.0 g/24 h, respectively, and are thus in good agreement with our findings (Table 3). Haufroid et al [30] investigated urinary HEMA in hospital workers temporarily exposed to ethylene oxide. At baseline (no exposure for at least 2 days), urinary HEMA levels amounted to 1.42 and 3.33 g/g creatinine for nonsmokers and smokers, respectively.…”