Environmental and molecular mutagenesis
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Environ. Mol. Mutagen. · Jul 2016
Gene-environment interaction between the MMP9 C-1562T promoter variant and cigarette smoke in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The aetiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is complex. While cigarette smoking is a well-established cause of COPD, a myriad of assessed genetic factors has given conflicting data. Since gene-environment interactions are thought to be implicated in aetiopathogenesis of COPD, we aimed to examine the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9 C-1562T (rs3918242) functional variant and cigarette smoke in the pathogenesis of this disease. ⋯ Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 57:447-454, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Environ. Mol. Mutagen. · May 2016
Evaluation of genotoxicity of general anesthesia maintained with desflurane in patients under minor surgery.
There is controversy over the genotoxic effects of volatile anesthetics. The available literature on the genotoxicity of desflurane, one of the newest volatile halogenated agents used for general anesthesia maintenance, is scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the genotoxic potential of desflurane in 15 patients without comorbidities, of both sexes, who underwent minor surgeries lasting at least 90 min. ⋯ DNA damage was evaluated in lymphocytes using the alkaline comet assay. We found statistically significant increases in DNA damage in T2 samples compared to T0. The findings suggest that desflurane anesthesia induces DNA strand breaks/alkali-labile sites on the day after minimally invasive surgery in healthy patients.
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Environ. Mol. Mutagen. · Apr 2015
Increased circulating cell-free DNA levels and mtDNA fragments in interventional cardiologists occupationally exposed to low levels of ionizing radiation.
Circulating cell-free DNA (ccf-DNA) and mtDNA (ccf-mtDNA) have often been used as indicators of cell death and tissue damage in acute and chronic disorders, but little is known about changes in ccf-DNA and ccf-mtDNA concentrations following radiation exposure. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of chronic low-dose radiation exposure on serum ccf-DNA levels and ccf-mtDNA fragments (mtDNA-79 and mtDNA-230) of interventional cardiologists working in high-volume cardiac catheterization laboratory to assess their possible role as useful radiation biomarkers. We enrolled 50 interventional cardiologists (26 males; age = 48.4 ± 10 years) and 50 age- and gender-matched unexposed controls (27 males; age = 47.6 ± 8.3 years). ⋯ Ccf-DNA levels (44.2 ± 31.1 vs. 30.6 ± 19.2 ng/ml, P = 0.013), ccf-mtDNA-79 (2.6 ± 2.1 vs. 1.1 ± 0.8, P < 0.01), and ccf-mtDNA-230 copies (2.0 ± 1.8 vs. 1.04 ± 0.9, P = 0.02) were significantly higher in interventional cardiologists compared with the non-exposed group. In a subset (n = 15) of interventional cardiologists with a reliable reconstruction of cumulative professional exposure (59.7 ± 48.4 mSv; range: 1.4-182 mS), ccf-DNA (53.2 ± 41.3 vs. 36.4 ± 22.9 and 32.2 ± 20.5, P = 0.08), mtDNA-79 (2.4 ± 2.1 vs. 2.03 ± 1.7 and 1.09 ± 0.82, P = 0.05), and mtDNA-230 (2.0 ± 2.2 vs. 1.5 ± 1.4 and 1.04 ± 0.9, P = 0.09) tended to be significantly increased in high-exposure subjects compared with both low-exposure interventional cardiologists and controls. Our results provide evidence for a possible role of circulating DNA as a relevant biomarker of cellular damage induced by exposure to chronic low-dose radiation.
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Environ. Mol. Mutagen. · Oct 2014
The potential role of lung microbiota in lung cancer attributed to household coal burning exposures.
Bacteria influence site-specific disease etiology and the host's ability to metabolize xenobiotics, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Lung cancer in Xuanwei, China has been attributed to PAH-rich household air pollution from burning coal. This study seeks to explore the role of lung microbiota in lung cancer among never smoking Xuanwei women and how coal burning may influence these associations. ⋯ These differences were explained by the Bacilli species (Streptococcus infantis and Streptococcus anginosus). Our small study suggests that never smoking lung cancer cases have differing sputum microbiota than controls. Further, bacteria found in sputum may be influenced by environmental exposures associated with the type of coal burned in the home.
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Environ. Mol. Mutagen. · Jan 2012
Lower levels of oxidative DNA damage and apoptosis in lymphocytes from patients undergoing surgery with propofol anesthesia.
Propofol, which is widely used as an intravenous anesthetic, has a phenolic structure similar to that of α-tocopherol with antioxidant properties that could prevent genotoxicity and cytotoxicity in lymphocytes of anesthetized patients. The aims of this study were to evaluate oxidative DNA damage and apoptosis in lymphocytes and the expression of DNA repair genes in blood cells from patients undergoing elective surgery under anesthesia with propofol. Twenty healthy adults of both genders (18-50 years old) who were scheduled for otorhinological surgery were enrolled in this study. ⋯ Down-regulation of hOGG1 and XRCC1 gene expression was observed on the first postoperative day. In conclusion, patients undergoing non-invasive surgery under propofol anesthesia presented lower levels of oxidized purines and apoptosis of T helper lymphocytes. Furthermore, anesthesia with propofol did not directly influence the expression of the DNA repair genes hOGG1 and XRCC1 in blood cells.