1.
Effect of environmental exposure to cigarette smoke on blood pressure in 24‑hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in patients with essential hypertension.
Gać, P, Poręba, R, Poręba, M, Mazur, G, Sobieszczańska, M
Polskie Archiwum Medycyny Wewnetrznej. 2014;(9):436-42
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A relationship between environmental exposure to cigarette smoke and blood pressure has not been well‑established. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of environmental exposure to cigarette smoke on blood pressure (BP) in patients with essential hypertension. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study involved 39 nonsmoking patients with essential hypertension treated with hypotensive agents and environmentally exposed to cigarette smoke (group 1) and 39 nonsmoking patients with essential hypertension treated with hypotensive agents and not exposed to cigarette smoke (group 2). The following variables of 24‑hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) were measured: systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulse pressure (PP) during 24‑hour ABPM, and, separately, for the period of daily activity and night rest. RESULTS In group 1, the mean values of 24‑hour SBP, DBP, MAP, and PP, daytime SBP, DBP, MAP, and PP, and nighttime SBP, MAP, and PP were significantly higher than those in group 2. Statistically significant positive linear correlations were demonstrated between the mean time of daily exposure (expressed in hours) to cigarette smoke and 24‑hour MAP and PP (r = 0.52 and r = 0.48, respectively, P <0.05). Advanced age, higher low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol and glucose concentrations, and environmental exposure to cigarette smoke were independent factors of elevated 24‑hour PP in the study group. CONCLUSIONS In patients with essential hypertension, environmental exposure to cigarette smoke may result in elevated BP values in 24‑hour ABPM.
2.
Evaluation of early DNA damage in healthcare workers handling antineoplastic drugs.
Ursini, CL, Cavallo, D, Colombi, A, Giglio, M, Marinaccio, A, Iavicoli, S
International archives of occupational and environmental health. 2006;(2):134-40
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study evaluates by comet assay the induction of early DNA damage in healthcare workers of an oncology hospital regularly handling antineoplastic drug mixtures. The aim was to identify a suitable biomarker of DNA damage by exposure to low levels of such drugs. METHODS We studied 12 day hospital nurses and 13 oncology ward nurses who performed up to 300 and up to 35 drug administrations per week, respectively, and five pharmacy employees who regularly prepared mixtures of antineoplastic agents. Thirty healthy subjects were selected as controls. For exposure evaluation, we performed environmental monitoring of 5-fluorouracil, cytarabine, gemcitabine, cyclophosphamide, and ifosfamide in selected work areas of pharmacy and day hospital units and biological monitoring of urine for the 5-fluorouracile metabolite, alpha-fluoro-beta-alanine. We evaluated early DNA damage in lymphocytes and exfoliated buccal cells by comet assay measuring tail moment (TM) parameter that indirectly indicates the presence of DNA damage. RESULTS Environmental monitoring detected cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil and ifosfamide, with higher levels of contamination in day hospital unit. The biological monitoring measured detectable levels of alpha-fluoro-beta-alanine only in three nurses. Comet assay showed an increase on exfoliated buccal cells, even if not statistically significant, of mean TM with respect to controls in day hospital nurses (43.2 vs. 28.6, respectively) while ward nurses and pharmacy technicians did not show differences. Comet assay performed on lymphocytes did not show appreciable differences between exposed and controls. CONCLUSIONS The employment of the sensitive comet assay, which is able to detect early the effects of a recent exposure to genotoxic substances, allowed us to find a slight DNA damage, only on exfoliated buccal cells of day hospital nurses, the group handling the highest amount of drugs during the administration process. This finding suggests that comet assay on exfoliated buccal cells could represent a useful tool to evaluate early and still repairable genotoxic effects of exposure to antineoplastic drug mixtures and then contribute to the improvement of the hospital safety practices.