No abstract

In this study we have examined the relationship of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) exposure with B[a]P-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE) adduct formation in globin and serum albumin (SA). We also have evaluated the relationship of BPDE-globin and -SA adduct formation with urinary 1 -hydroxypyrene ( 1 -OH-pyrene), and bulky DNA adducts in peripheral blood lymphocytes. The study groups consist of male Hungarian garage mechanics (smokers and nonsmokers) exposed to diesel engine exhaust and matched control samples from a blood bank in Budapest. The mean level of BPDEglobin adducts in the garage mechanics (n=15) is 5.914.8 fmoVmg globin (ranging from 0.5 to 19.9 fmol/mg globin) and that in controls (n=15), is 2.4*2.5 fmol/mg globin (ranging from ND to 8.5 fmol BPDE/mg globin). The mean of BPDE-SA in garage mechanics is 0.3650.6 fmol/mg SA (ranging from ND to 2.6 fmol/mg SA) and, in controls it is 0.29i0.3 fmol/mg SA (ranging from ND to 1.3 fmol/mg SA). The results of this study indicate that levels of BPDE-SA adducts are about one order of magnitude lower than levels of globin adducts. The mean of BPDE-globin and -SA adducts in garage mechanics are 2.4-fold (p=0.02) and 1.2-fold @=0.7) higher than I15 I26 A. A. MELIKIAN e t a /those in controls, respectively. Similarly, levels of urinary 1 -0H-pyrene in the exposed group are 2.1 -fold higher than those in controls @=0.03). The correlation coefficients between estimated B[n]P exposure (both ingested and inhaled) and formation of globin adducts and urinary 1-OH-pyrene are ~0 . 4 9 (p=0.06), and r=0.3 1 (p=0.26), respectively. This study suggests that BPDE-globin adducts and urinary 1-OH-pyrene may be better biomarkers of exposure than BPDE-SA adducts.