DNA methylation changes in promoter region of gene in workers exposed in construction environment.

Purpose: Construction workers are exposed to a mixture of substances in the workplace considered carcinogenic. This study aimed to characterise gene-specific changes in DNA methylation over the workweek in this population as this type of environmental exposure has not been studied extensively.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated their DNA methylation in 4 gene-promoter regions ( and ) and 2 repeat elements ( and ) in blood samples obtained on the first and fifth day of the same workweek of a group of 39 male construction workers.

Evaluation of DNA Methylation Changes and Micronuclei in Workers Exposed to a Construction Environment.

Methylation levels in tumor-suppressor genes and repetitive sequences have previously been used to study the relationship between environmental air pollution and epigenetic changes related to cancer. In this study, we measured the methylation profiles of the promoter regions , and and the repetitive sequence in 59 workers exposed to the construction environment and in 49 unexposed workers. We also evaluated the micronuclei frequency and levels of trace elements in the blood of all workers.