ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Evaluation of DNA Damage in People
Occupationally Exposed to Arsenic and Some
Heavy Metals
A. Szymańska-Chabowska, A. Beck, R. Poręba, R. Andrzejak,
J. Antonowicz-Juchniewicz
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Wrocław Medical University, Pasteura 4, 50-367 Wrocław, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2009;18(6):1131-1139
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Arsenic (As) is a human carcinogen with a high risk of cancer development in people exposed to it in
industry and in the general environment. The mechanisms involved in arsenic carcinogenesis are still
unknown. There is a hypothesis that reactive oxygen species (ROS) may play an important role in arsenic
carcinogenesis. 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine is a nucleotide form that results from oxidative DNA damage,
which causes mutation in vitro and in vivo. So the occurrence of 8-OHdG (8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine) has
been used to study damaging effects on DNA of ROS.
The aim of our study was to investigate whether oxidative damage of DNA, determined by elevated
serum levels of 8-OHdG, could be observed in workers occupationally exposed to As and lead (Pb), and environmentally
to cadmium (Cd).
According to the aim, a group of 47 copper smelters, working in the copper foundry “Legnica”, and 20
matched non-exposed men were examined. Stressgen’s StressXpress DNA Damage ELISA Kit was used for
detection and quantitation of 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in serum samples.
The serum concentration of 8-OHdG was significantly higher in the study group than in the controls. No
significant differences between serum 8-OHdG concentration in the group of exposed smokers, exposed nonsmokers
and smoking controls were found.
Moreover, no significant correlations between serum concentration of 8-OHdG and arsenic, lead and cadmium
levels were observed, but people with the worst toxicological parameters showed higher 8-OHdG serum
concentration.
The results suggest that:
1. chronic mixed exposure to arsenic, cadmium and lead may result in oxidative DNA damage in humans;
2. 8-OHdG serum level measurement may be a useful tool for biomonitoring in the case of mixed occupational
exposure to these toxic metals and increased cancer risk.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.