Enhancement of benzo(a)pyrene-induced sister chromatid exchanges in lymphocytes from cigarette smokers occupationally exposed to asbestos

Journal Article · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · J. Natl. Cancer Inst.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5142656

Kelsey, K T; Christiani, D C; Little, J B

The frequencies of base-line and benzo(a)pyrene ((BP) CAS 50-38-8)-induced sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) were measured in peripheral blood lymphocytes from 22 male asbestos-exposed workers and 10 nonexposed workers of comparable age. A clear association between cigarette smoking and asbestos exposure in the sensitivity of lymphocytes to BP was observed. Among asbestos-exposed workers, lymphocytes from those who smoked cigarettes were significantly more susceptible to the induction of SCE by in vitro exposure to BP (P = .01) than were lymphocytes from nonsmokers. Active smoking elevated the base-line SCE frequency in both asbestos-exposed and nonexposed workers (P = .001), and an interaction between smoking and asbestos in the production of base-line SCE was suggested (P = .07). Asbestos exposure alone was not associated with an enhanced susceptibility to the induction of SCE by BP or with an elevation of base-line SCE. Increased age was associated with an increase in SCE inducibility by BP (P = .01), and a history of smoking was marginally associated with SCE inducibility by BP (P = .07). These findings support the hypothesis that an increased susceptibility of asbestos-exposed individuals to polyaromatic hydrocarbon-induced cancer results from an enhanced sensitivity to the induction of genetic damage rather than to an asbestos-induced differential cellular metabolic capacity.

• Research Organization: Harvard Univ. School of Public Health, Boston, MA
• OSTI ID: 5142656
• Journal Information: J. Natl. Cancer Inst.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Natl. Cancer Inst.; (United States) Vol. 2; ISSN JNCIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
AGE DEPENDENCE
ANIMAL CELLS
AROMATICS
ASBESTOS
BENZOPYRENE
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL RECOVERY
BIOLOGICAL REPAIR
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY FLUIDS
CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS
COLLOIDS
CONDENSED AROMATICS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
DISPERSIONS
DNA REPAIR
ENZYME INDUCTION
GENE REGULATION
GENETIC EFFECTS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROCARBONS
LEUKOCYTES
LYMPHOCYTES
MATERIALS
MUTATIONS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PERSONNEL
RECOVERY
REPAIR
RESIDUES
SISTER CHROMATID EXCHANGES
SMOKES
SOLS
SOMATIC CELLS
SYNERGISM
TOBACCO SMOKES