Abstract

ASSESSMENT OF ANTIOXIDANT STATUS IN RELATION TO MICROSOMAL EPOXIDE HYDROLASE GENE POLYMORPHISMS AMONG WOOD WORKERS

Rokaya H. Shalaby*, Mona M. Taha and Ghada E. Mamoon

ABSTRACT

Occupational exposure to wood dust may be associated with different harmful health effects in workers employed in the wood industry. These harmful effects may be a result of inducing oxidative stress which is causally related to inflammations. We aimed to evaluate the associations between EPHX1polymorphisms and change in antioxidant status (SOD, CAT and GPx) among wood dust exposed workers. Subjects &Methods: EPHX1 genotyping in exon 3 and exon 4 polymorphisms was carried out by PCR-RFLP. Biochemical assessment of altered antioxidant enzyme activities illustrated role of oxidative stress (OS) that may lead to depletion in antioxidant status. SOD, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) (as radical-scavenging enzymes) were analysed in 50 exposed workers who were classified into four subgroups according to ages and duration of exposure (5,10,15 and 20 years of exposure) and 50 control subjects classified according to age into 4 subgroups. Also, the production of MIP-2 upon dust exposure among these workers was assessed. Results: Significant reduction in enzymatic antioxidants SOD and CAT levels and non significant reduction in GPx levels, as well as significant rise in serum MIP-2 levels in different duration of exposure among exposed workers compared to healthy control ones. Also, significant difference in genotype frequency of EPHX polymorphisms in exon 3 or 4 in different duration of exposure.Conclusion: SOD and CAT levels and not GPx can reflect the antioxidant status in wood workers while genotype frequency of EPHX1 gene polymorphisms at exon 3 and 4 can indicate genetic damage in those workers.

Keywords: Wood dust, Antioxidant status, MIP-2, EPHX Gene polymorphisms.