Wood dust and urinary 15-F2t isoprostane in Italian industry workers

Abstract

Wood dust is one of the most common occupational exposures, with about 3.6 million of workers in the wood industry in Europe. Wood particles can deposit in the nose and the respiratory tract and cause adverse health effects. Occupational exposure to wood dust has been associated with malignant tumors of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. The induction of oxidative stress and the generation of reactive oxygen species through activation of inflammatory cells could have a role in the carcinogenicity of respirable wood dust. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate the prevalence of urinary 15-F 2t isoprostane (15-F 2t-IsoP), a biomarker of oxidative stress and peroxidation of lipids, in 123 wood workers compared to 57 unexposed controls living in Tuscany region, Italy. 15-F 2t-IsoP generation was measured by ELISA. The main result of the present study showed that a statistically significant excess of this biomarker occurred in the workers exposed to 1.48 mg/m 3 of airborne wood dust with respect to the unexposed controls (0.05 mg/m 3). The overall mean ratio (MR) between the workers exposed to wood dust and the controls was 1.36, 95% Confidence Interval (C.I.) 1.18-1.57, after correction for age and smoking habits. A significant increment of 15-F 2t-IsoP (43%) was observed in the smokers as compared to the non-smokers. The urinary excretion of 15-F 2t-IsoP was significantly associated with co-exposure to organic solvents and formaldehyde, i.e., MR of 1.41, 95% C.I. 1.17-1.70, after adjustment for age and smoking habits. A 41% excess was observed in long-term wood workers, 95% C.I. 1.14-1.75. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the level of 15-F 2t-IsoP was linearly correlated to the length of exposure, regression coefficient (β) = 0.244 ± 0.002 (SE). The overall increment by exposure group persisted after stratification for smoking habits. For instance, in smokers, a 53% excess was detected in the wood workers as compared to the controls, 95% C.I. 1.23-1.91. Our data support the hypothesis that oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation can have a role in the toxicity of wood dust F 2-IsoP measure can be a tool for the evaluation of the effectiveness of targeted interventions aimed to reduce exposures to environmental carcinogens.

A Cross-Sectional Study on 3-(2-Deoxy-β-D-Erythro-Pentafuranosyl)Pyrimido[1,2-α]Purin-10(3H)-One Deoxyguanosine Adducts among Woodworkers in Tuscany, Italy

“…15-F 2t -IsoP is a widely used biomarker of exposure [21,41]. Therefore, it is of primary importance to understand its biological relevance in terms of health risk.…”

“…Significant associations between occupational air pollution exposure and increments of biomarker exposure and cancer risk are apparent [16,17,18,19]. Recently, we have examined the prevalence of urinary 15-F 2t isoprostane (15-F 2t -IsoP), a biomarker of oxidant status [20], in woodworkers compared to controls in Tuscany, Italy [21]. In that study, we found a significant excess of urinary 15-F 2t -IsoP excretion in woodworkers with an overall Means Ratio (MR) of 1.36, 95% C.I.…”

“…M 1 dG was examined by 32 P-postlabeling [26] and mass spectrometry [27]. Urinary 15-F 2t -IsoP data were obtained from a previous study [21]. Additional understanding of the link between M 1 dG adducts and wood dust exposure can improve the knowledge of the mechanisms of actions of this carcinogen in the cells of the respiratory tract of woodworkers.…”

Formaldehyde, Oxidative Stress, and FeNO in Traffic Police Officers Working in Two Cities of Northern Italy

“…FA may directly originate from natural sources, from several anthropogenic activities and from indirect product via the photochemical oxidations of hydrocarbons in the atmosphere [8,9]. FA has been detected in several occupational settings involving wood-based materials, laminates, paints and urea-based resins [10] and is used as disinfectant and preservative in hospitals and in pathology units [11]. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) [12] and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) [13], FA is classified as a human carcinogen.…”

“…This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the role of FA exposure and the urbanisation level on OS induction, quantified by urinary 15-F2t-Isoprostane (15-F2t-IsoP), and on airway inflammation, measured by the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). It is notable that 15-F2t-IsoP is a reliable and sensitive biomarker of OS, used in several other epidemiological studies [10,11,16]. FeNO is measured in a non-invasive way and is a biomarker of eosinophilic airway inflammation, useful in monitoring inflammatory processes due to air pollution exposure [20].…”