Abstract
BackgroundAn estimated 800,000 people worldwide are occupationally exposed to welding-fumes. Previous studies show that the exposure to such fumes is associated with damage to genetic material and increased cancer risk. In this study, we evaluate the genotoxic effect of welding-fumes using the Micronucleus Test on oral mucosa cells of Mexican welders.Material and MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional, matched case-control study of n = 66 (33 exposed welders, and 33 healthy controls). Buccal mucosa smears were collected and stained with acridine orange, observed under 100x optical amplification with a fluorescence lamp, and a single-blinded observer counted the number of micronuclei and other nuclear abnormalities per 2,000 observed cells. We compared the frequencies of micronuclei and other nuclear abnormalities, and fitted generalised linear models to investigate the interactions between nuclear abnormalities and the exposure to welding-fumes, while controlling for smoking and age.ResultsBinucleated cells and condensed-chromatin cells showed statistically significant differences between cases and controls. The frequency of micronuclei and the rest of nuclear abnormalities (lobed-nuclei, pyknosis, karyolysis, and karyorrhexis) did not differ significantly between the groups. After adjusting for smoking, the regression results showed that the occurrence of binucleated cells could be predicted by the exposure to welding-fumes plus the presence of tobacco consumption; for the condensed-chromatin cells, our model showed that the exposure to welding-fumes is the only reliable predictor.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that Mexican welders who are occupationally exposed to welding-fumes have increased counts of binucleated and condensed-chromatin cells. Nevertheless, the frequencies of micronuclei and the rest of nuclear abnormalities did not differ between cases and controls. Further studies should shed more light on this subject.
Highlights
Welding-fume exposure and DNA damageApproximately, 800,000 people worldwide are occupationally exposed to metal-weldingfumes, this increases the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage the genetic material [1]
We compared the frequencies of micronuclei and other nuclear abnormalities, and fitted generalised linear models to investigate the interactions between nuclear abnormalities and the exposure to welding-fumes, while controlling for smoking and age
Our findings suggest that Mexican welders who are occupationally exposed to weldingfumes have increased counts of binucleated and condensed-chromatin cells
Summary
800,000 people worldwide are occupationally exposed to metal-weldingfumes, this increases the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage the genetic material [1]. Aluminium is the second most used metal in the welding industry, and occupational exposure to its fumes is associated with generation of ROS that triggers a cascade of immune responses that lead to lysosomal membrane damage, genotoxicity, and carcinogenesis or cell-death [6,7,8]. The use of carbon steel (an iron-carbon alloy, with traces of other elements) is common in Mexican industry; when welded, carbon steel releases fumes that contain iron, molybdenum, copper, chromium, nickel and manganese; the inhalation of these is reported to induce genotoxicity trough ROS generation aforementioned. Previous studies show that the exposure to such fumes is associated with damage to genetic material and increased cancer risk. We evaluate the genotoxic effect of welding-fumes using the Micronucleus Test on oral mucosa cells of Mexican welders
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