BIOMARKERS OF CARCINOGEN EXPOSURE AND CANCER RISK IN A COKE PLANT

To evaluate the association between an indicator of carcinogen exposur e (peripheral blood leukocyte DNA adducts of polycyclic aromatic hydro carbons) and an early indicator of neoplastic transformation (sputum e pithelial cell membrane antigens binding by monoclonal antibodies agai nst small cell lung cancer and against nonsmall cell lung cancer), a s urvey of 350 coke-oven workers and 100 unexposed workers was planned. This paper reports a pilot investigation on a subgroup of 23 coke-oven workers and 8 unexposed controls. A ''gas regulator'' worker with pos itive tumor antigen binding was identified. Results show that smokers, subjects with decreased pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in 1 sec/forced vital capacity% < 80), and those with morphological dy splasia of sputum cells have higher levels of DNA adducts. The gas reg ulators showed the highest values for adducts; however, no significant difference of adduct levels was found between the coke-oven group and unexposed controls.