Mutagenicity of inhalation anaesthetics studied by the sister chromatid exchange test in lymphocytes of patients and operating room personnel.

Retrospective studies have indicated that operating room personnel may have increased risks of spontaneous abortion, congenital malformations in offspring, and cancer (Cohen et al 1980, Buring et al 1985). Occupational exposure to waste anaesthetic gases may be responsible for these possible adverse health effects, but a cause-effect relationship has never been proved. Induction of changes in the DNA in the chromosomes leading to mutations may play a role in teratogenicity and carcinogenicity. Along with an increasing concern in society regarding occupational diseases and working and living environment in general, cytogenetic methods have been developed for rapid detection of potential mutagenicity in vitro of chemical agents. One such method is the SCE test, which is based on examination of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), i.e. exchanges of chromatid-segments between the two chromatids in a chromosome, during cell replication. SCEs are not mutations, but an increased frequency of SCE is a sensitive indicator of exposure to agents that are capable of producing damage to the DNA and thus possibly mutations. In vitro tests like the SCE test are very useful for evaluation of specific chemical agents, which may be added to the culture in known concentrations. In studies of possible hazards from chemical agents in the working or living environment, the exposure is often poorly defined. Also, biotransformation may be different in different species, and the duration and the level of the exposure may play a role. Examination of SCEs is, therefore, increasingly performed directly on human lymphocytes from peripheral blood. Thus, although the examination of SCEs is still performed in vitro, the exposure has taken place in vivo. Increased SCE levels are then regarded as a non-specific indicator that the donor has been exposed to potentially mutagenic agents in the environment. The author and his associates used the SCE test to investigate the possible mutagenicity of anaesthetic gases after exposure in vivo. From extensive methodologic studies of possible confounding factors it was concluded that each of the factors sex, age, and smoking habits contributed significantly to the interpersonal variation of SCE frequencies, whereas use of oral contraceptives did not influence the SCE rates. The potential mutagenicity of inhalation anaesthetics was studied after exposure in vivo in two settings: (1) Acute exposure to anaesthetic concentrations, and (2) Chronic occupational exposure to trace concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)