Genotoxic effects in workers of coal production

Abstract

It is known that increased concentration of coal dust in the air of the working area of enterprises leads not only to the development of inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system, but also to increased genomic instability in the cells of the immune system, which can have extremely unfavorable consequences. Miners of coal mines of Kuzbass (n = 507), employees of coal thermal power plants (n = 455) and residents of the same area not engaged in industrial production (n = 798) were examined. The frequency of structural chromosomal aberrations (CA) was assessed, a micronucleus (MN) test was performed on blood lymphocytes with a cytochalasin block, the frequency of hypermethylation of promoters of key repair genes (XRCC1, XRCC2, XRCC3, XRCC4, ERCC2, ERCC5) was studied using methyl-specific polymerase chain reaction. It was found that all workers had an increased frequency of CA, MN, bridges, protrusions. An increase in the frequency of occurrence of hypermethylated and methylated statuses of promoters of the studied genes was noted.