OBJECTIVESerum p53 protein overexpression was detected in population exposed to traffic exhaust gas to study the relation between traffic exhaust gas and the increased risk in p53 gene mutation.

METHODSSerum p53 protein expression was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Relationship between different types of job and serum p53 protein overexpression were studied by pearson Chi-square tests.

RESULTSResults on serum p53 protein overexpression on jobs outside of office (5.74%) were not significantly higher than jobs inside the office. However, it suggested that traffic police men (12.12%) working outside of office, with whose length of service longer than 30 years had a significant overexpression of serum p53 protein than the others (5.36%) whose length of service was less than 30 years (P < 0.05, OR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.11 - 5.33). Overexpression rate of p53 protein appeared to be 6.89% in the group whose average weekly exposure hours were more than 40 hours, which was significant higher than the group whose exposed hours were less than 40 hours (P < 0.05, OR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.03 - 2.81).

CONCLUSIONThe result suggested that traffic exhaust gas was likely to cause mutation of p53 gene and increasing the incidence of lung cancer.