CYTOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF SOUTH ASIAN BERRY PICKERS IN BRITISH-COLUMBIAUSING THE MICRONUCLEUS ASSAY IN PERIPHERAL LYMPHOCYTES

Micronuclei in peripheral blood lymphocytes from British Columbia seas onal farmworkers and controls were evaluated using the cytokinesis-blo ck technique. The farmworkers harvested berry crops and were likely oc cupationally exposed to pesticides. Subjects were 39 female subjects o f South Asian descent; 18 farmworkers employed during 1993 and 21 age- matched controls. The mean age was 55.9 years, Micronuclei were also s cored for the presence of kinetochores. No significant difference was found between the frequency of micronucleated binucleates in the farmw orker group (19.20/1000 binucleates) (1), and the control group (21.76 /1000 binucleates). However, among the farmworkers employed in 1993, t here was a positive, but not statistically significant, association be tween micronucleated cell frequency and weeks worked: 16.44/1000 binuc leates in those working less than 20 weeks; 23.78/1000 binucleates in those working 20 to 23 weeks; and 25.43/1000 binucleates in those work ing more than 23 weeks. In those who had ever been employed as farmwor kers, there was an elevated frequency of micronucleated cells in the g roup with the longest history of employment as a farmworker (25.28/100 0 binucleates) compared to those with the shortest employment history (16.48/1000 binucleates). This trend remained evident after adjusting for age, red blood cell folate, meat consumption, coffee consumption a nd recent vaccination. A positive association between the consumption of meat and micronucleus frequency was also observed. Non-meat eaters were likely life-long vegetarians. Micronuclei in farmworkers had a lo wer frequency of kinetochore positive micronuclei than controls. This study indicates that South Asian berry pickers in British Columbia may be at risk for genetic damage. More studies in other ethnic groups an d in males are needed to generalize the findings of this study. More d irect measures of exposure are needed to elucidate the sources of geno toxicity. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.