Significant positive correlation of plasma BPDE-albumin adducts to urinary 1-hydroxypyrene in coke oven workers.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the application of BPDE-albumin adducts as monitoring biomarkers for coke oven workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and to explore possible relationship between BPDE-albumin adducts and urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) levels in them. METHODS: Thirty-seven coke oven workers from a coke plant and 47 controls without the occupational exposure to PAHs were recruited in this study. The levels of plasma BPDE-albumin adducts and urinary 1-OHP were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: The median levels of BPDE-albumin adducts (42.10 fmol/mg albumin) and urinary 1-OHP (5.46 micromol/mol creatinine) were significantly higher in coke oven workers than in controls (14.16 fmol/mg albumin, 2.96 micromol/mol creatinine, respectively; P<0.01). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that coke oven workers were at higher risk of having BPDE-albumin adduct levels above 25.30 micromol/mg albumin (OR=1.79, P<0.01) and urinary 1-OHP levels above 4.13 micromol/mol creatinine (OR=2.45, P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between the levels of BPDE-albumin adducts and urinary 1-OHP in all subjects (rs=0.349, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: BPDE-albumin adduct is a useful biomarker for monitoring long-term exposure to PAHs, and plasma BPDE-albumin adducts level is significantly correlated to urinary 1-OHP levels in coke oven workers.

[Prognostic significance of lymph node micrometastasis in colorectal cancer].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: There have been many controversies about the prognostic significance of lymph node micrometastasis. The aim of this study was to characterize the prognostic significance of lymph node micrometastasis of colorectal cancer. METHODS: Specimens of curative resection between 1988 and 2001 were collected from The Affiliated Hospital of Jianghan University Medical and Life Science College. All 80 patients (30 cases of rectal cancer, 50 cases of colon cancer) had complete examination data. A total of 3869 lymph nodes (48.36 per case) were found by clearing fat method. The interrupted serial 4-micron sections, routine hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry methods were used to detect the lymph node metastasis and micrometastasis (small tumor cells cluster diameter