Follow-up Four End-point Genotoxicological Monitoring among Adriamycin Producing Workers

M. G. Jakab, J. Major, and A. Tompa

National Institute of Occupational Health, Budapest

CEJOEM 1997, Vol.3. No.4.:340

Authors present the results of four end-point follow-up genotoxicological monitoring of 52 workers producing Adriamycin in order to detect the genotoxic effects in the workers occupationally exposed to Adriamycin. The investigations were annually repeated until the 6th year when Adriamycin production was terminated. The results of these investigations were compared to the data of 101 historical and 88 industrial controls. During the 5-year study the variation frequency (VF) of HPRT point-mutations, chromosome aberrations (CA) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) were determined together with the measurement of UV-induced unscheduled DNA repair-synthesis (UDS) in human peripheral blood lymphocytes. In the first 3 years of the study there were no significant differences in the mean values of the results in all subgroups of the workers (fermentors, producers and workers in the analytical laboratories) in comparison to those of the industrial controls. However, in all subgroups the results of both CA and VF were elevated in the 4th year of the investigations. Parallel to these, a slight increase of SCE and an increase in UDS (among fermentors) was also observed. In the final, 5th year of the study a decrease in CA and VF was detected in analytical laboratory workers, while VF, CA and SCE values showed a further increase in fermentors and producers. These results indicate an increase of genotoxic damages suggested to be the consequence of exposure to Adriamycin and an increased (tumor) risk among Adriamycin producing workers. The data also confirm that a longer expression period after the exposure is needed for the occurrence of detectable genotoxic damages.

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