Aromatic DNA adducts in human bone marrow and peripheral blood leukocytes

DNA from normal human bone marrow mononuclear and non-mononuclear cells was analysed by 32P-post-labelling for the presence of aromatic adducts. Ten out of 10 individuals showed the presence of adducts at levels of 1-9 adducts per 10(8) nucleotides that were not detected in four samples of human foetal bone marrow. Inter-individual variations in the patterns of these presumed aromatic adducts were observed. Similar adducts were also present in the DNA of peripheral white blood cells of both smokers and non-smokers, although at lower levels than in bone marrow. The data suggest that the adducts result from environmental exposure to an as-yet-unidentified genotoxic agent or agents.