The effect of acute carbon monoxide poisoning on micronuclei frequency and proliferation in human peripheral blood lymphocytes (case-control study).

Objective: Carbon monoxide (CO) exposure is still one of the leading causes of unintentional poisonings. Although its neurological sequels have been extensively studied, the knowledge about cytogenetic conse- quences still remains very limited. The aim of this study was to estimate the genotoxic potential of carbon monoxide in the course of acute poisoning.

Methods: The examined group consisted of 73 patients treated because of accidental acute CO poisoning, and 22 healthy control individuals. Poisoning severity was estimated on the basis of neurological symptoms at admission, age, duration of exposure, carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level and blood lactate concentration. The cytochalasine-B (cytokinesis blocker) micronucleus assay (CBMN) was used to analyze the cytogenetic alterations in lymphocytes from peripheral blood of the patients.

Results: Intoxicated patients displayed higher numbers of micronuclei (MN) than controls. The frequency of MN depended on the age of patients, loss of consciousness, neurological symptoms at admission, and the level of carboxyhemoglobin, but did not correlate with lactate level. We also observed differences in cell responses depending on the gender.

Conclusion: Our results confirm the presence of cytogenetic changes after carbon monoxide poisoning. Based on these data we conclude, that CO might have genotoxic potential.