Determination of hemoglobin and serum albumin adducts of benzo[a]pyrene by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in humans and their relation to exposure and to other biological markers

In this study we have examined the relationship of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) exposure with B[a]P-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE) adduct formation in globin and serum albumin (SA). We also have evaluated the relationship of BPDE-globin and -SA adduct formation with urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-pyrene), and bulky DNA adducts in peripheral blood lymphocytes. The study groups consist of male Hungarian garage mechanics (smokers and nonsmokers) exposed to diesel engine exhaust and matched control samples from a blood bank in Budapest. The mean level of BPDE-globin adducts in the garage mechanics (n=15) is 5.9±4.8 fmol/mg globin (ranging from 0.5 to 19.9 fmol/mg globin) and that in controls (n=15), is 2.4±2.5 fmol/mg globin (ranging from ND to 8.5 fmol BPDE/mg globin). The mean of BPDE-SA in garage mechanics is 0.36±0.6 fmol/mg SA (ranging from ND to 2.6 fmol/mg SA) and, in controls it is 0.29±0.3 fmol/mg SA (ranging from ND to 1.3 fmol/mg SA). The results of this study indicate that levels of BPDE-SA adducts are about one order of magnitude lower than levels of globin adducts. The mean of BPDE-globin and -SA adducts in garage mechanics are 2.4-fold (p=0.02) and 1.2-fold (p=0.7) higher than those in controls, respectively. Similarly, levels of urinary 1-OH-pyrene in the exposed group are 2.1-fold higher than those in controls (p=0.03). The correlation coefficients between estimated B[a]P exposure (both ingested and inhaled) and formation of globin adducts and urinary 1-OH-pyrene are r=0.49 (p=0.06), and r=0.31 (p=0.26), respectively. This study suggests that BPDE-globin adducts and urinary 1-OH-pyrene may be better biomarkers of exposure than BPDE-SA adducts.