Sister Chromatid Exchanges in Lymphocytes of Some Workers Exposed to Hexavalent Chromium

Shin, Dong Hoon; Yoon, Nung Ki; Suh, Suk Kwan; Yeh, Min Hae

Abstract

To investigate the possibility of utilizing of sister chromatid exchange(SCE) analysis in lymphocytes as an indicator which could evaluate the effects of mutagenicity after in vivo exposure to hexavalent chromium, this study was conducted using some of chromium plating workers occupationally exposed to hexavalent chromium, chromium trioxide (CrO3) in Taegu city. The study population was 12 Cr platers with perforation of nasal septum, 12 Cr platers without perforation of nasal septum and 20 controls. The SCE in peripheral blood lymphocytes of the subjects was analyzed and blood chromium concentration was estimated using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer (IL 551) equipped with furnace atomizer (IL 755). The mean SCE frequencies for Cr platers with and without perforation of nasal septum were statistically higher than those for control. The difference in SCE frequencies by age, smoking habits were not statistically significant both in Cr platers and controls. There was no difference in SCE frequencies by career of Cr platers workers. In Cr platers, the correlation between the mean SCE frequencies and chromium concentration in blood was not statistically significant. Using the transformation y=(sum SCE)1/2+(sum SCE+1)1/2, when the data was studied by multiple regression, it appeared that the influence of the occupation was the most important. Age, smoking, occupation and CrB(blood chromium concentration) together explain only 32.3% of interpersonal variation on SCE. The results in this study suggest that a genetic risk due to occupationally exposure to hexavalent chromium is clearly inferable and thus, SCE analysis in human lymphocytes may be used indicator of biological toxic effects of chromium. Further, populatio analysis studies are required before SCE frequency can be used as a mutagenic indicator in human population.