This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Merzenich, H. Articles by Jöckel, K.-H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Merzenich, H. Articles by Jöckel, K.-H.

Biomonitoring on Carcinogenic Metals and Oxidative DNA Damage in a Cross-Sectional Study¹

Bremen Institute for Prevention Research and Social Medicine and Centre for Public Health, [H. M., W. A.], Departments of Biology and Chemistry [D. B., A. H., R. S.] and Mathematics [M. S., J. T.], University of Bremen, D-28359 Bremen; University of Karlsruhe, Institute of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, D-76128 Karlsruhe [A. H.]; and Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University Essen and West German Tumor Center Essen, D-45122 Essen [K-H. J., W. A.], Germany

Oxidative DNA damage is mediated by reactive oxygen species and is supposed to play an important role in various diseases including cancer. The endogenous amount of reactive oxygen species may be enhanced by the exposure to genotoxic metals. A cross-sectional study was conducted from 1993 to 1994 in an urban population in Germany to investigate the association between metal exposure and oxidative DNA damage.

The cross-sectional sample of 824 participants was recruited from the registry of residents in Bremen, comprising about two-third males and one-third females with an average age of 61.1 years. A standardized questionnaire was used to obtain the occupational and smoking history. The incorporated dose of exposure to metals was assessed by biological monitoring. Chromium, cadmium, and nickel were measured in 593 urine samples. Lead was determined in blood samples of 227 participants. As a biomarker for oxidative DNA damage, 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine has been analyzed in lymphocytes of 201 participants. Oxidative lesions were identified by single strand breaks induced by the bacterial formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg) in combination with the alkaline unwinding approach.

The concentrations of metals indicate a low body load (median values: 1.0 µg nickel/l urine, 0.4 µg cadmium/l urine, and 46 µg lead/l blood; 83% of chromium measures were below the technical detection limit of 0.3 µg/l). The median level of Fpg-sensitive DNA lesions was 0.23 lesions/10⁶ bp. A positive association between nickel and the rate of oxidative DNA lesions (Fpg-sensitive sites) was observed (odds ratio, 2.15; tertiles 1 versus 3, P < 0.05), which provides further evidence for the genotoxic effect of nickel in the general population.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. H. Avogbe, L. Ayi-Fanou, H. Autrup, S. Loft, B. Fayomi, A. Sanni, P. Vinzents, and P. Moller Ultrafine particulate matter and high-level benzene urban air pollution in relation to oxidative DNA damage Carcinogenesis, March 1, 2005; 26(3): 613 - 620. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Mukherjee, L. J. Palmer, J. Y. Kim, D. B. Aeschliman, R. S. Houk, M. A. Woodin, and D. C. Christiani Smoking Status and Occupational Exposure Affects Oxidative DNA Injury in Boilermakers Exposed to Metal Fume and Residual Oil Fly Ash Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., March 1, 2004; 13(3): 454 - 460. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				Comparative analysis of baseline 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine in mammalian cell DNA, by different methods in different laboratories: an approach to consensus Carcinogenesis, December 1, 2002; 23(12): 2129 - 2133. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. M. Gedik, S. P. Boyle, S. G. Wood, N. J. Vaughan, and A. R. Collins Oxidative stress in humans: validation of biomarkers of DNA damage Carcinogenesis, September 1, 2002; 23(9): 1441 - 1446. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]