Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in lung tissue of patients with pulmonary cancer from Romania. Influence according as demographic status and ABO phenotypes

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 92; no. 5; pp. 504 - 511
• Main Authors: Cioroiu, Bogdan Ionel, Tarcau, Doina, Cucu-Man, Simona, Chisalita, Irina, Cioroiu, Mona
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: ABO Blood-Group System - analysis; ABO phenotypes; Aged; anthracenes; Biological and medical sciences; blood groups; Carcinogenesis, carcinogens and anticarcinogens; carcinogenicity; carcinogens; Carcinogens, Environmental - analysis; Chemical agents; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; drugs; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; Female; fluorescence; high performance liquid chromatography; Humans; Lung - chemistry; Lung - pathology; Lung cancer; lung neoplasms; Lung Neoplasms - blood; Lung Neoplasms - chemistry; Lung Neoplasms - epidemiology; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; lungs; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; mutagenicity; PAHs; patients; pollutants; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Romania - epidemiology; Rural; rural areas; Toxicology; Tumors; Urban; urban areas; Various organic compounds; Romania; Europe; Rural; Urban; PAHs; ABO phenotypes; Lung cancer; Lung; Urban area; Mutagen; Respiratory system; Epidemiology; Persistent organic pollutant; Tissue; Health and environment; Rural area; Bronchus disease; Public health; Human; Lung disease; Hydrocarbon; Respiratory disease; Patient; Malignant tumor; Polycyclic aromatic compound; Carcinogen; Phenotype; Cancer
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.02.014

► The work is the first study dealing with the contamination status of PAHs in human lung tissue in Romania. ► BaPeq calculated for two areas of residence show higher levels of PAHs in urban area with respect to the rural. ► Patients with A and O blood group show higher carcinogenic PAHs lung tissue concentrations compared with B blood group. The lung is a target organ for the toxic effects of several chemical agents, including natural products, industrial chemicals, environmental agents, and occasionally, drugs. The assessment of PAHs in the lungs of patients with pulmonary cancer is important because these pollutants have mutagenic, carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting properties. This study included 31 histological confirmed lung cancer cases diagnosed consecutively at the Clinical Hospital of Pneumology (Iasi, Romania) from 2008 to 2009. Analyses were carried out using an accelerated solvent extraction technique and HPLC with a fluorescence detector. Fifteen PAHs were detected in all analyzed samples with non-carcinogenic compounds significantly elevated (45.57ngg−1 wet tissue) against carcinogenic compounds (6.12ngg−1 wet tissue). The mean±SD lung tissue level of benzo(a)anthracene (3.57±4.64ngg−1 wet tissue), a carcinogenic PAH, was found to be significantly higher (p<0.05) in patients from urban areas compared with the level (1.22±1.45ngg−1 wet tissue) in patients from rural areas. Similarly, the levels of non-carcinogenic acenaphtene (8.95±13.32ngg−1 wet tissue), fluoranthrene (5.31±5.40ngg−1 wet tissue) and anthracene (4.83±7.57ngg−1 wet tissue) were also detected to be higher (p<0.05) in the urban group compared to the levels for the rural group (1.46±2.34, 1.83±2.50 and 1.89±3.79ngg−1 wet tissue, respectively). High concentrations of PAHs, especially carcinogenic PAHs, such as benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthrene, and benzo(k)fluoranthrene, were observed in lung tissue samples collected from subjects with A and O blood types.