Urinary 8-isoprostane and 8-OHdG concentrations in boilermakers with welding exposure

To investigate the association of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) with DNA damage and oxidative stress in boilermakers exposed to welding fumes.

Forty-one workers were monitored over 24 hours during which baseline, postshift, bedtime, and next morning measurements were collected. Twenty-two workers participated as controls.

Linear regression was used to model pairwise change in u-8-isoprostane and u-8-OHdG: pre- to postshift, preshift to bedtime, postshift to bedtime, and postshift to next morning. In the models, pre- to postshift change in 8-OHdG was statistically significant, whereas postshift to bedtime change in 8-isoprostane showed an unexpected inverse relationship with PM2.5.

Acute welding exposure is associated with a postshift blunting of systemic inflammation in chronically exposed boilermakers, as measured by 8-isoprostane. The level of oxidative DNA damage as measured by 8-OHdG is less clear.