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Previous epidemiological studies have indicated that industrial art glass workers have increased mortality risks for certain types of cancer and for cardio- and cerebrovascular disease. To test the hypothesis that increased oxidative stress might contribute to these increased mortality risks, the urinary levels of the lipid peroxidation product, malondialdehyde (MDA), and the oxidative DNA adduct, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8OHdG) were determined in 343 workers (230 men and 113 women) from the art glass industry in the southeast of Sweden. Of the study subjects, 199 (181 men and 18 women) were engaged in the process of glass production and were regarded as exposed, whereas the remainders performed clerical, warehouse and other service work and were regarded as unexposed. One hundred and sixteen were smokers (75 men and 41 women) and 215 were non-smokers (142 men and 73 women). The findings indicate that (a) exposure to industrial art glass work per se does not cause any major oxidative stress as measured by urinary levels of MDA and 8OHdG, (b) the effects from smoking per se are limited to increased lipid peroxidation among men, and (c) joint exposure to industrial art glass work and smoking may cause increased lipid peroxidation among men and increased DNA hydroxylation among both men and women. While these findings provide no evidence for increased oxidative stress due to industrial art glass work per se, the increased 8OHdG excretion, in workers who smoke may be associated with a higher risk of developing free radical-dependent degenerative diseases including cancer.

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