Abstract
Objectives: Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) is an exposure marker of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This study investigated the relationship between the urinary 1-OHP and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a biomarker of DNA oxidative damage. Methods: With consents from subjects, the levels of urinary 1-OHP and 8-OHdG were determined for 95 men, with at least three years of taxi driving, recruited at taxi rest stations and 75 men residing in the community with the least air pollution in Taipei City. Results: Multiple regression analysis showed that urinary 1-OHP excretion was significantly associated with traffic exposure and smoking. In the quartile distribution of urinary 1-OHP level, the average 8-OHdG level increased from 9.7 μg/g creatinine to 14.7 μg/g creatinine when the average 1-OHP level increased from less than 0.15 μg/g creatinine in the first quartile to greater than 0.35 μg/g creatinine in the forth quartile. After adjusting for study group, age, education, smoking, areca quid chewing and exercise, there was a significant positive correlation between 8-OHdG and 1-OHP levels (r=0.239, p=0.002). Conclusions: Taxi driving and smoking may contribute independently to the elevation in urinary 1-OHP level. Because there is a positive association between the level of 8-OHdG and 1-OHP in urine, the 8-OHdG may be considered as a useful biomarker of induced oxidative damage from PAHs exposure.