Interaction between cadmium and aromatic DNA adducts in hprt mutagenesis during foetal development.

The foetus is exposed to multiple xenobiotics through the mother's circulation and this is possibly involved in the development of diseases in later life. Heavy metals and lipophilic genotoxins in umbilical cord blood of newborns may have synergistic effects on mutagenesis in the hypoxanthine-phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) reporter gene. Concentrations of zinc (Zn), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) were determined in the peripheral and cord blood of 16 non-smoking and 9 smoking healthy mothers by atomic absorption spectrometry.

Differences in HPRT mutant frequency among middle-aged Flemish women in association with area of residence and blood lead levels.

Biomarkers were measured in residents of Wilrijk and Hoboken, industrial suburbs of the city of Antwerp, and of Peer, a rural municipality in Flanders, Belgium. Persons with known occupational exposures to toxic compounds or commuting over long distances were excluded. Here, we report the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase gene (HPRT) variant frequencies for 99 non-smoking women aged 50-65 years.