Detection of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, a marker of oxidative DNA damage, in white blood cells of workers occupationally exposed to styrene

Styrene-7,8-oxide (SO), the major in vivo metabolite of styrene, is a genotoxic compound and a potential carcinogenic hazard to occupationally exposed workers. The aim of the present work was to investigate the ability of styrene exposure to induce formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in white blood cells (WBC) of boatbuilders occupationally exposed to styrene. The study of these adducts was conducted to see if styrene exposure can cause oxidative damage of DNA. The 8-OHdG/10(5) dG ratio from 17 styrene-exposed workers showed significant increases (mean +/- SD, 2.23 +/- 0.54, median 2.35, P < 0.001) in comparison to the controls (1.52 +/- 0.45, median 1.50). However, 11 out of 17 workers who were between the ages of 32 and 60 years and had been occupationally exposed to styrene for > 10 years showed higher 8-OHdG/10(5) dG ratios (2.31 +/- 0.62, median 2.37) in comparison to 6 workers with < 6 years of occupational styrene-exposure (2.11 +/- 0.36, median 2.05; P > 0.05, no significant difference between the two groups of workers). The studies presented here provide an indication that styrene exposure can result in oxidative DNA damage.