TUMOR-MARKERS IN SERUM, POLYAMINES AND MODIFIED NUCLEOSIDES IN URINE,AND CYTOGENETIC ABERRATIONS IN LYMPHOCYTES OF WORKERS EXPOSED TO POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS

Some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo(a)pyrene an d benzo(a)anthracene are well-established genotoxic agents. Long-term exposure to PAHs may lead to proliferative cell disorders in humans, p redominantly in the skin, lung, and bladder. The concentration of seve ral tumor markers in serum, of polyamines and modified nucleosides in urine, and of cytogenetic endpoints in peripheral lymphocytes (sister- chromatid exchanges, high frequency cells [HFC], and micronuclei) were measured in 149 male workers exposed to PAHs in two coke oven and one graphite electrode plants, and in 137 controls. We have assessed whet her these biomarkers were related to several parameters reflecting exp osure to PAHs, i.e., the sum of the airborne concentration of 13 PAHs, 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) concentration in postshift urine, benzo(a)pyr ene-diolepoxide adducts to hemoglobin (BPDE-Hb adducts), and duration of exposure, taking also into account several possible confounding fac tors. HFC was the biomarker most consistently associated with the inte nsity of current exposure to PAHs. Smoking exerts an independent effec t on the same parameter. On the basis of the logistic regression betwe en the prevalence of abnormal HFC values and PAHs in air and 1-OHP in postshift urine found in nonsmokers, it is suggested that the latter s hould be kept below 6.4 mug/m3 and 2.7 mug/g creatinine, respectively. No relationship was found between the cytogenetic effects and BPDE-Hb adducts although both parameters are statistically correlated with th e airborne PAH level. Some tumor markers in serum (carcinoembryonic an tigen, tissue polypeptide antigen, sialic acid) and the urinary concen tration of some polyamines were correlated with either PAHs in air or 1-OHP in urine. The associations, however, were very weak which sugges ts that these biomarkers have limited practical value for the health s urveillance of groups of workers exposed to genotoxic PAHs. (C) 1995 W iley-Liss, Inc.