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Title: Enhancement of benzo[a]pyrene-induced sister chromatid exchanges in lymphocytes from cigarette smokers occupationally exposed to asbestos.

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

Published In J Natl Cancer Inst, (1986 Aug)

Abstract: 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.

PubMed ID: 3461194 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Adult; Age Factors; Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases/biosynthesis; Asbestos/adverse effects*; Benzo(a)pyrene/toxicity*; DNA Repair/drug effects; Environmental Exposure; Enzyme Induction/drug effects; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Sister Chromatid Exchange/drug effects*; Smoking*

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