OBJECTIVETo explore the relation of asbestosis to human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosidase (hOGG1) genotype and DNA damage, the investigation of hOGG1 polymorphism distribution and DNA strand breakages in peripheral lymphocytes was carried on in occupational population.

METHODSA total 101 asbestos-exposed workers and 141 controls were investigated. The DNA damage level was obtained by single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) and hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism by PCR-RELP.

RESULTS(1) A significant increase in the exposed group was observed in comet scores at basal (34.8 +/- 16.8), H2O2-induced (136.7 +/- 36.0) and 4 hours after repair (51.0 +/- 18.7) as compared with the control group (P < 0.01). And the scores in H2O2-induced (147.0 +/- 30.8) and 4 hours after repair (56.9 +/- 21.4) were significantly higher in asbestosis workers than in non-asbestosis ones (125.7 +/- 38.2 and 44.9 +/- 15.4, P < 0.01). (2) There was no differences of the genotype distribution between the asbestos group and the control group (chi(2) = 0.22, P = 0.89). A significant difference in the distribution of this polymorphism (Ser/Ser, Ser/Cys, Cys/Cys) between asbestosis group (25.5%, 51.0%, 23.5%) and the non-asbestosis group (48.0%, 36.0%, 16.0%) was observed (chi(2) = 6.023, P < 0.05). The comet scores at H2O2-induced and 4 hours after repair were higher in asbestosis subjects than in non-asbestosis ones (P < 0.05). (3) After adjusting ages, sex, smoking and drinking status, the odds ratios of the Cys allele for asbestosis were 0.66 (95% CI = 0.38 - 1.13) in the exposed subjects.

CONCLUSIONThe results suggested that the asbestos occupational exposure might induce DNA damage and the augment on susceptivity of H2O2 oxidation and the fall of the capacity of repairing DNA damage might be one of the mechanisms to induce asbestosis among subjects with the Cys allele.