Molecular Epidemiology Focused on Airborne Carcinogens

Abstract

Health risk associated with genotoxic and carcinogenic effects of air pollution is evaluated by biomarkers of exposure, effect and susceptibility. The use of these molecular methods combined with epidemiological studies became new research area termed molecular epidemiology. These biomarkers begin with exposure and include absorption, metabolism, distribution, critical target interaction (i.e. DNA damage and repair), genetic changes and finally disease. The development of biomarkers has given rise to the field of molecular epidemiology, which uses these biomarkers rather than disease to assess the risk of environmental exposure. This chapter is an overview of a contemporary knowledge how biomarkers may be used to evaluate the health risk of air pollution. As biomarkers of exposure were reviewed bulky DNA adducts, oxidative damage markers (8-oxodG, 15-F2t-IsoP), double strand DNA breaks (Comet assay), as biomarkers of effect chromosomal aberrations (conventional cytogenetic analysis, FISH technique, the analysis of micronuclei), sperm DNA fragmentation, as biomarkers of susceptibility genetic polymorphisms, as omics biomarkers mRNA expression, DNA methylation, microRNA expression. All presented studies indicate, that DNA adducts, Comet assay and DNA fragmentation in the sperm are sensitive biomarkers of exposure to airborne carcinogens, chromosomal aberrations assessed by FISH and micronuclei are suitable biomarkers of effect, and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and 15-F2t-isoprostane (15-F2t-IsoP) biomarkers of oxidative damage.