Biological Effect Monitoring in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes from Subjects Occupationally Exposed to Antineoplastic Drugs: Assessment of Micronuclei Frequency

Abstract

Antineoplastic drugs (ANPDs) are widely used in the treatment of cancer and some nonneoplastic diseases. However, most if not all of these chemical agents are generally nonselective and, along with tumor cells, normal cells may undergo cytotoxic/genotoxic damage. Italian pharmacists and nurses occupationally exposed to ANPDs during their normal work routines were monitored to evaluate biological effects (i.e., cytogenetic damage) eventually associated with exposure. The subjects were also monitored for primary, oxidative and excision repaired DNA damage as evaluated by comet assay (published data). In the present paper, we present the results obtained with the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) test. The CBMN test in peripheral blood lymphocytes was applied because of its ability to detect both clastogenic and aneugenic effects, and because it has recently been reported that micronuclei (MNs) are predictive of cancer risk in human populations. In this study, the evaluation of MN frequency was carried out using the CBMN test in the absence or in the presence of the DNA repair inhibitor Ara-C (cytosine arabinoside). No significant difference was observed for MN frequency comparing nurses handling ANPDs (exposed subjects) and controls; no correlations were found between job seniority, age, smoking habits and MN rates. Concerning the aim of this study to evaluate the genotoxic risk arising from occupational exposure to ANPDs, statistically significant differences in MN rates in the subjects under study could not be determined.