32P-post-labeling detection of DNA adducts in mononuclear cells of workers occupationally exposed to styrene.

Abstract

32P-Post-labeling was used to analyze for the presence of DNA adducts in 47 workers exposed to styrene in a boat manufacturing facility. Individual airborne exposures measured several times over the course of 1 year ranged from 1 to 235 mg/m3 with a mean value of 65.6 mg/m3. Two adducts were detected in the DNA of mononuclear cells of these workers. The following levels of adducts were detected: adduct 1, range 0.6-102 x 10(-8) (mean 15.8 x 10(-8); adduct 2, range 0.1-70.9 x 10(-8) (mean 14.2 x 10(-8). Significant linear relationships were found between styrene exposure and both DNA adducts (adduct 2, r = 0.330, P = 0.012; adduct 1, r = 0.244, P = 0.049). Co-chromatography experiments identified DNA adduct 1 in the exposed samples as N2-(2-hydroxy-1-phenylethyl)-2'-deoxyguanosine-3',5'-bisphosphate. DNA adduct 2 remains unidentified. No significant linear relationships were observed between the level of DNA adducts and sister chromatid exchanges, possibly because of the poor precision of the 32P-post-labeling assay (the estimated coefficients of variation for adducts 1 and 2 were 2.54 and 1.96, respectively). These results demonstrate that occupational exposure to styrene results in the formation of DNA adducts in human mononuclear cells.