Association of benzo[a]pyrene-diol-epoxide-deoxyribonucleic acid (BPDE-DNA) adduct level with aging in male smokers and nonsmokers

We used our new flow cytometric method to measure benzo[a]pyrene-diol-epoxi de-deoxyribonucleic acid adduct levels in peripheral lymphocytes from healt hy male smokers and nonsmokers. Smokers who had pack-years of 20 or more ha d significantly higher mean benzo[a] pyrene-diol-epoxide-deoxyribonucleic a cid adduct levels than nonsmokers. In smokers, the adduct levels were corre lated significantly with age, years of smoking, and pack-years, whereas dai ly tobacco consumption was not correlated with adduct levels. We also found a positive relationship between age and benzo[a]pyrene-diol-epoxide-deoxyr ibonucleic acid adduct levels in nonsmokers. Passive exposure to tobacco sm oke was not associated with adduct levels. The results of our study indicat e that benzo[a] pyrene-diolepoxide-deoxyribonucleic acid adduct levels may be closely related to aging and that tobacco smoking-as well as other envir onmental factors-may play a role in the benzo[a]pyrenediol-epoxide-deoxyrib onucleic acid adduct formation.