Avaliação dos níveis de genotoxicidade e estresse oxidativo em manipuladores de quimioterápicos em serviços de oncologia

Abstract

Twenty pharmacists and nurses handling antineoplastic drugs in a hospital were monitored during a working week by six blood samplings, from Monday to Friday, in the morning (only on Monday) and afternoon (all days). Genotoxicity was analysed by comet assay and Micronucelus test (MN) and oxidative stress was analyzed in serum by thiobarbituric acid reaction substances (TBARS) and measurements of the antioxidants enzymes superoxide dismutase (Sod) and catalase (Cat). The exposed workers have presented an increase in DNA damage levels by comet assay in relation to the controls. The comet assay results have also shown significant positive correlation with the day of the week and alcohol consumption. The MN frequency was significantly higher in the exposed workers, and presented significant correlation with age and working time. In the oxidative stress parameters, only catalase presented a significant increase in the exposed group, considering all the samplings. However, TBARS data presented a interesting results, considering the different sampling times; the exposed group presented a significant correlation with the working days, and significant higher results on Friday in relation to the controls and to the Monday morning it self. Monitoring occupational risk during a longer time, e.g., during a working week as it was done in this study, presents more aspects of the risk behavior, which can improve the risk management. This work than demonstrates that in genotoxic risk assessment it is also interesting to evaluate the oxidative stress, once both often result of the same factors.