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Title: Hypomethylation of dual specificity phosphatase 22 promoter correlates with duration of service in firefighters and is inducible by low-dose benzo[a]pyrene.

Authors: Ouyang, Bin; Baxter, C Stuart; Lam, Hung-Ming; Yeramaneni, Samrat; Levin, Linda; Haynes, Erin; Ho, Shuk-Mei

Published In J Occup Environ Med, (2012 Jul)

Abstract: Firefighters (FFs) are chronically exposed to smoke and products of incomplete combustion, which frequently contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This study examined the possibility of an association between PAH-induced epigenetic alterations and occupational firefighting exposure.Promoter methylation was analyzed in four genes in blood DNA from 18 FFs and 20 non-FFs (controls). Jurkat and human normal prostate epithelial cells were treated with benzo[a]pyrene to ascertain the epigenetic effects of this type of agent.Firefighters had a higher prevalence of dual specificity phosphatase 22-promoter hypomethylation in blood DNA (P = 0.03) and the extent of hypomethylation correlated with duration of firefighting service (P = 0.04) but not with age. Benzo[a]pyrene reduced promoter methylation and increased gene expression of the same gene in Jurkat and normal prostate epithelial cells.Cumulative occupational exposure to combustion-derived PAHs during firefighting can cause epigenetic changes in promoters of specific genes.

PubMed ID: 22796920 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Adult; Benzo(a)pyrene/analysis; Benzo(a)pyrene/toxicity*; Cells, Cultured; DNA Methylation/drug effects*; DNA/blood; Dual-Specificity Phosphatases/genetics*; Female; Firefighters*; Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatases/genetics*; Occupational Exposure; Promoter Regions, Genetic*; Prostate/drug effects; Smoke

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