Single strand DNA breaks in T- and B-lymphocytes and granulocytes in workers exposed to benzene

Comet assays were carried out to evaluate DNA damage in T- and B-lymphocytes and granulocytes from 41 workers exposed to benzene in a printing company and 41 unexposed donors. In T-lymphocytes, DNA damage was slightly higher in exposed workers than in controls. The tail moments in the two groups were 1.75 +/- 0.29 and 1.47 +/- 0.41, respectively (P < 0.0006). DNA damage of B-lymphocytes in the two groups showed the most significant difference among the three cell types. The tail moments were 3.86 +/- 0.71 and 1.51 +/- 0.39, respectively (P < 0.0001). In granulocytes, DNA damage was also different, the tail moments being 3.61 +/- 0.75 and 2.60 +/- 0.59, respectively (P < 0.0001). The comparison of DNA damage in both groups shows that B-lymphocytes could be a useful target in biomonitoring of human exposure to low levels of benzene. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.