DNA Adducts and Mutations in Occupational and Environmental Biomonitoring
Kari Hemminki
Department of Biosciences at Novum, Karolinska Institute,
Huddinge, Sweden
Abstract
The methods applied for DNA adduct determination in humans have become more reliable. Yet there is a need to characterize the adducts studied better and, when possible, to identify them with the help of the available standard compounds. Use of standard compounds also allows quantification of adduct levels. There is a lack of knowledge on the adduct levels and their half-lives in target and surrogate tissues. Most adduct studies have been carried out on occupational populations exposed to complex mixtures. White blood cells have been the most common source of DNA. Other exposures and tissues should be a subject of study. Notably, dietary exposures have been largely neglected. Biomonitoring of mutations is a relatively new field and a few exposures have so far been investigated. The results have been promising but logistics of the studies have to be improved to make large field studies possible. Future biomonitoring studies should make an effort to combine many end points, with emphasis on adducts, mutations, and constitutional metabolic factors. -- Environ Health Perspect 105(Suppl 4):823-827 (1997)
Key words: 32P-postlabeling, DNA damage, pollution, metabolism, risk assessment
This paper was prepared as background for the Workshop on Susceptibility to Environmental Hazards convened by the Scientific Group on Methodologies for the Safety Evaluation of Chemicals (SGOMSEC) held 17-22 March 1996 in Espoo, Finland. Manuscript received at EHP 5 November 1996; accepted 18 November 1996.
The projects were supported by the EU Environment Program, partly through the Swedish Medical Research Council, the National Environmental Protection Board and the Swedish Cancer Fund, the Work-Environment Fund, and the OK Environment Fund.
Address correspondence to Dr. K. Hemminki, Department of Biosciences at Novum, Karolinska Institute, 141 57 Huddinge, Sweden. Telephone: 46 8 608 9243. Fax: 46 8 608 1501. E-mail: kari.hemminki@cnt.ki.se
Abbreviations used: GST, glutathione S-transferase; HPRT, hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase; NAT, N-acetyltransferase; PAH, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon.
[Table of Contents]
[Full Article]
Last Update: June 17, 1997