Oxidative DNA damage estimated by urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine: influence of taxi driving, smoking and areca chewing

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) 2003-08, Vol.52 (7), p.1163-1171
• Main Authors: Chuang, Chun-Yu, Lee, Chen-Chen, Chang, Yu-Kang, Sung, Fung-Chang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 1-Hydroxypyrene; 8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine; Adult; Air; Air Pollutants, Occupational - adverse effects; Areca - adverse effects; Automobile Driving; Biological and medical sciences; Deoxyguanosine - analogs & derivatives; Deoxyguanosine - urine; DNA Damage; Environmental pollutants toxicology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nitrogen oxides; Nitrogen Oxides - adverse effects; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxidative DNA damage; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - adverse effects; Smoking - adverse effects; Taxi drivers; Toxicology; Vehicle Emissions - adverse effects
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/S0045-6535(03)00307-2

Nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are common air pollutants generated from automobile exhaust and cigarette smoke. This study was to investigate urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as an effective biomarker on DNA damage from traffic exhaust and/or smoking in exposed and non-exposed individuals. With subject consents, the levels of plasma NO x , urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) and 8-OHdG were determined for 95 male taxi drivers and 75 male community residents as the reference group. After adjusting for associate variables, there was a significant correlation between the levels of urinary 8-OHdG and 1-OHP but not NO x . The average level of urinary 8-OHdG was significantly higher in drivers than in community men (13.4 ± 4.7 vs. 11.5 ± 4.7 μg/g creatinine in mean ± standard deviation). Compared with non-smoking community men, the multivariate logistic regression showed that the odds ratios (OR) of having elevated levels of urinary 8-OHdG (greater than the overall median value, 12.1 μg/g creatinine) were 6.6 (95% confidence interval (CI)=2.1–20.8) for smoking community men, 5.0 (95% CI=1.7–14.7) for non-smoking taxi drivers and 4.6 (95% CI=1.4–15.0) for smoking taxi drivers. Higher risk was also observed for areca quid chewers compared with non-chewers (OR=1.6; 95% CI=1.1–3.6). In conclusion, taxi driving and smoking may contribute independently to elevated DNA damage using urinary 8-OHdG levels as a sensitive biomarker. This effect is most potent on heavy smokers.