Abstract
BackgroundIn a previous study, we showed that individuals who had participated in oil clean-up tasks after the wreckage of the Prestige presented an increase of structural chromosomal alterations two years after the acute exposure had occurred. Other studies have also reported the presence of DNA damage during acute oil exposure, but little is known about the long term persistence of chromosomal alterations, which can be considered as a marker of cancer risk. ObjectivesWe analyzed whether the breakpoints involved in chromosomal damage can help to assess the risk of cancer as well as to investigate their possible association with DNA repair efficiency. MethodsCytogenetic analyses were carried out on the same individuals of our previous study and DNA repair errors were assessed in cultures with aphidicolin. ResultsThree chromosomal bands, 2q21, 3q27 and 5q31, were most affected by acute oil exposure. The dysfunction in DNA repair mechanisms, expressed as chromosomal damage, was significantly higher in exposed-oil participants than in those not exposed (p= 0.016). ConclusionThe present study shows that breaks in 2q21, 3q27 and 5q31 chromosomal bands, which are commonly involved in hematological cancer, could be considered useful genotoxic oil biomarkers. Moreover, breakages in these bands could induce chromosomal instability, which can explain the increased risk of cancer (leukemia and lymphomas) reported in chronically benzene-exposed individuals. In addition, it has been determined that the individuals who participated in clean-up of the oil spill presented an alteration of their DNA repair mechanisms two years after exposure.
Highlights
In 2002, the oil tanker Prestige foundered and spilled more than 67,000 tons of the tankers oil, which contaminated more than 1,000 km of the coast of Galicia (North-West Spain)
A total of 203 breakpoints in exposed and 61 in nonexposed individuals involved in chromosomal damage were detected
We proposed to determine if some chromosome bands were especially affected by oil exposure and if the effects upon the genes located in these genomic regions, could explain the cellular disorders involved in cancer
Summary
In 2002, the oil tanker Prestige foundered and spilled more than 67,000 tons of the tankers oil, which contaminated more than 1,000 km of the coast of Galicia (North-West Spain). The findings were unexpected, due to the long timeperiod that had passed following exposure, and relevant due to the fact that a high number of CAs is associated with a higher risk of developing cancer, as described in the literature [11,12,13,14,15] These observations led us to make a complete cytogenetic study of the same individuals. We showed that individuals who had participated in oil clean-up tasks after the wreckage of the Prestige presented an increase of structural chromosomal alterations two years after the acute exposure had occurred. Conclusion: The present study shows that breaks in 2q21, 3q27 and 5q31 chromosomal bands, which are commonly involved in hematological cancer, could be considered useful genotoxic oil biomarkers Breakages in these bands could induce chromosomal instability, which can explain the increased risk of cancer (leukemia and lymphomas) reported in chronically benzene-exposed individuals. It has been determined that the individuals who participated in clean-up of the oil spill presented an alteration of their DNA repair mechanisms two years after exposure
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