Psychosocial factors as a potential trigger of oxidative DNA damage in human leukocytes

Although numerous studies have been carried out on the stress-cancer linkag e, the results are still inconclusive. One of the useful, but rarely applie d, methods to assess this linkage is to examine the relationship between ps ychosocial stress and cancer-predisposing genetic alterations simultaneousl y, We investigated whether various psychosocial factors can be associated w ith the levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), a biomarker of cancer- related oxidative DNA damage, in peripheral blood leukocytes in 362 healthy workers (276 males and 86 females). After adjustments for age, body mass i ndex, cigarette smoking, and alcohol use, female subjects showed positive r elationships between the amount of 8-OR-dG and the Tension-Anxiety, Depress ion-Rejection, Anger-Hostility, Fatigue, and Confusion scores of the Profil e of Mood States, respectively. The levels of 8-OH-dG also increased reliab ly in the female subjects who had poor stress-coping behaviors, particularl y wishful thinking strategy, in the NIOSH general job stress instrument. Th ere were positive relationships of the 8-OH-dG levels to average working ho urs, a self-blame coping strategy, and recent loss of a close family member in male subjects. These Findings in a nonclinical sample of healthy adults not only provide evidence of a stress-cancer linkage, but also suggest pos sible sex differences in the mechanisms of stress-related cancer initiation .