Division of Toxicology, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Arch Toxicol. 2024 Sep;98(9):2817-2841. doi: 10.1007/s00204-024-03785-4. Epub 2024 May 28.
Indoor air pollution is becoming a rising public health problem and is largely resulting from the burning of solid fuels and heating in households. Burning these fuels produces harmful compounds, such as particulate matter regarded as a major health risk, particularly affecting the onset and exacerbation of respiratory diseases. As exposure to polluted indoor air can cause DNA damage including DNA sd breaks as well as chromosomal damage, in this paper, we aim to provide an overview of the impact of indoor air pollution on DNA damage and genome stability by reviewing the scientific papers that have used the comet, micronucleus, and γ-H2AX assays. These methods are valuable tools in human biomonitoring and for studying the mechanisms of action of various pollutants, and are readily used for the assessment of primary DNA damage and genome instability induced by air pollutants by measuring different aspects of DNA and chromosomal damage. Based on our search, in selected studies (in vitro, animal models, and human biomonitoring), we found generally higher levels of DNA strand breaks and chromosomal damage due to indoor air pollutants compared to matched control or unexposed groups. In summary, our systematic review reveals the importance of the comet, micronucleus, and γ-H2AX assays as sensitive tools for the evaluation of DNA and genome damaging potential of different indoor air pollutants. Additionally, research in this particular direction is warranted since little is still known about the level of indoor air pollution in households or public buildings and its impact on genetic material. Future studies should focus on research investigating the possible impact of indoor air pollutants in complex mixtures on the genome and relate pollutants to possible health outcomes.
室内空气污染正成为一个日益严重的公共卫生问题，主要是由于家庭燃烧固体燃料和取暖造成的。燃烧这些燃料会产生有害化合物，如被认为是主要健康风险的颗粒物，特别是会影响呼吸道疾病的发作和恶化。由于暴露在污染的室内空气中会导致 DNA 损伤，包括 DNA 单链断裂和染色体损伤，因此在本文中，我们旨在通过回顾使用彗星、微核和 γ-H2AX 检测法的科学论文，概述室内空气污染对 DNA 损伤和基因组稳定性的影响。这些方法是人体生物监测和研究各种污染物作用机制的有价值的工具，并且可以通过测量 DNA 和染色体损伤的不同方面，用于评估空气污染物引起的原发性 DNA 损伤和基因组不稳定性。基于我们的搜索，在选定的研究（体外、动物模型和人体生物监测）中，我们发现室内空气污染物导致的 DNA 链断裂和染色体损伤水平通常高于匹配的对照组或未暴露组。总之，我们的系统评价揭示了彗星、微核和 γ-H2AX 检测法作为评估不同室内空气污染物的 DNA 和基因组损伤潜力的敏感工具的重要性。此外，由于人们对家庭或公共建筑中的室内空气污染水平及其对遗传物质的影响知之甚少，因此在这一特定方向进行研究是有必要的。未来的研究应集中于研究调查室内空气污染物在复杂混合物中对基因组的可能影响，并将污染物与可能的健康结果联系起来。
