Multiple End-point Genotoxicology Monitoring of Hungarian Historical
and Industrial Control Subjects*
Jenõ Major, Mátyás G. Jakab and Anna Tompa
National Institute of Occupational Health, Budapest, Hungary
Corresponding author: Jenõ Major National Institute of Occupational Health
Department of Human Genotoxicology
H-1450 Budapest, P.O.Box 22, Hungary
Tel: +36 1215-7890
Fax: +36 1215-6891
CEJOEM 1997, 3:87-101
*This work was financially supported by the Ministry of Health
and Social Welfare, Hungary (ETT, T-08 043/93 and ETT, T-08 241/96). Key words: Chromosome aberrations, cell proliferation, historical controls, human
lymphocytes, industrial controls, sister-chromatid exchange, UV-light-induced
DNA repair
Abbreviations: ANOVA: Analysis of variance;
BrdU: 5’-Bromo-deoxyuridine;
CA: Chromosome aberrations;
HC: Historical controls;
3H-TdR: Tritium-labelled thymidine;
IC: Industrial controls;
LI: Labelling index;
M1: Metaphases of the first cell cycle;
M2: Metaphases of the second cell cycle;
M3: Metaphases of the third cell cycle;
PBL: Peripheral blood lymphocytes;
PRI: Proliferation rate index;
RPMI-1640: Cell culture medium;
SCE: Sister chromatid exchange;
SE: Standard error;
UDS: Unscheduled DNA synthesis;
UV: Ultraviolet light;
WBC: White blood cells.
Abstract: The aim of the investigation was to study the effect of chronic low
dose exposure to environmental pollutants in peripheral blood lymphocytes
(PBL) of subjects living in the Budapest agglomeration, Hungary. The effect
of some biological (gender, age, hematocrit and white blood cell counts),
life-style (smoking, drinking habits and residential areas), and seasonal
confounding factors was also considered. One hundred and eighty-eight Hungarian
donors – 101 historical (HC) and 87 industrial controls (IC), living in
the Budapest agglomeration – were analysed by a routine multiple end-point
genotoxicology monitor including investigations of structural and numerical
chromosome aberrations (CA), sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE), cell proliferation
indices (lectine stimulation, LI, and proliferation rate index, PRI), and
UV-light-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) of PBLs. Each donor was
personally interviewed and clinically investigated. All previous medical
records were available. The two populations were matched for age, smoking
and drinking habits. We excluded all the donors with acute infectious and/or
chronic noninfectious diseases, and/or with exposure to any known chemical
hazard. One hundred routinely prepared first mitoses were blindly scored
by two investigators for CA, and 50 second metaphases for SCE. LI was determined
autoradiographically and UDS was measured by the incorporated 3H-TdR (cpm).
For the HC group, the base line CA and SCE frequencies
were 0.36% and 6.20 per mitosis, respectively. In IC donors, significant
(P<0.05) elevations were found in the frequencies of gaps, aberrant
cells, total aberrations (excluding gaps), chromatid and chromosome type
aberrations, and in UDS, compared to HCs. Results indicate an increased
genotoxicological burden in the IC donors living and/or working in industrial
areas. Gender-related differences in CA and SCE frequencies, and smoking-induced
changes in UDS were also found in both groups. Age-related increase of
CAs were only found in ICs. Light drinking did not appear to influence
the results in any groups. The present results are comparable with the
previously published Hungarian control data, consequently, these data can
represent a reliable base line for future routine genotoxicology monitoring
studies in Hungary.