Predictors of Genotoxicity and Redox Imbalance among Workers Exposed to Volatile Organic Compounds in the Oil Refining Industry | ||||
| Suez Canal University Medical Journal | ||||
| Article 10, Volume 27, Issue 1, January 2024, Page 0-0 | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/scumj.2024.392124 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
Yasmine H. Sultan1; Bahiga H. Daoud1; Nermine M. Foda1; Sabah G. El-Banna2; Ashraf A. Zahran3; Noha Elshaer  1
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| 1Industrial Medicine and Occupational Health, Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. | ||||
| 2Biochemistry, Department of Environmental Studies, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. | ||||
| 3Air Pollution, Department of Evaluation of Natural Resources, Environmental Studies and Research Institute, Sadat City University, Cairo, Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: Recently, it has been hypothesized that the genotoxicity of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is related to redox imbalance and oxidative DNA damage. Aim: To measure the indicators, and identify the predictors, of genotoxicity and redox imbalance among workers exposed to VOCs in the oil refining industry. Subjects/Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among 37 oil refinery workers and 37 workers not engaged in refinery processes at an oil refinery company in Egypt. Environmental VOCs levels were measured at the worksites, workers were interviewed, clinical symptomatology was evaluated, and the following indicators were measured in the serum: concentrations of 8-Hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), DNA fragmentation percentage, activity levels of Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) enzymes, levels of Glutathione (GSH) and Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Results: Environmental VOCs levels were significantly higher at the refinery worksites (p < 0.001). Oil refinery workers had more symptoms, significantly higher 8-OHdG and TBARS levels, DNA fragmentation, and TBARS levels (p < 0.001, p=0.042, and p < 0.001, respectively) while they had significantly lower GST levels (p < 0.001) than the comparison group. Exposure to VOCs was independently associated with an increase in DNA fragmentation by 1.03%, an increase in 8-OHdG by 3.227 ng/mL, an increase in TBARS by 0.125 nmol/dL, and a decrease in GST by 0.576 IU/mL. Conclusions: Occupational exposure to VOCs was found to be associated with clinical symptomatology, genotoxicity, and redox imbalance. Exposure to VOCs at work was found to independently predict the increase in DNA fragmentation, 8-OHdG, and TBARS, and the decrease in GST activity levels. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| DNA fragmentation; DNA damage; VOCs exposure | ||||
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