SHORT COMMUNICATION
Correlation of chromosome damage and promoter methylation status of the DNA repair genes MGMT and hMLH1 in Chinese vinyl chloride monomer (VCM)-exposed workers
Fen Wu 1
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1
Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Fudan University and Key Laboratory of Public Health and Safety of the Ministry of Education of China, Shanghai, China
 
2
Department of Health Toxicology, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
 
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Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
 
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School of Public Health, University of Illinois in Chicago, Chicago, USA
 
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Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
 
 
Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2013;26(1):173-82
 
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ABSTRACT
Objective: To explore the association of the methylation status of MGMT and hMLH1 with chromosome damage induced by vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). Materials and Methods: Methylation of MGMT and hMLH1 was measured in 101 VCM-exposed workers by methylation-specifi c PCR. Chromosome damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes was measured by the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay. The subjects were divided into chromosome damaged and non-damaged groups based on the normal reference value of micronuclei frequencies determined for two control groups. Results: MGMT promoter methylation was detectable in 5 out of 49 chromosome damaged subjects, but not in the chromosome non-damaged subjects; there was a signifi cant difference in MGMT methylation between the two groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: We detected aberrant promoter methylation of MGMT in a small number of chromosome damaged VCM-exposed workers, but not in the chromosome non-damaged subjects. This preliminary observation warrants further investigation in a larger study.
eISSN:1896-494X
ISSN:1232-1087
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