Interindividual differences in the concentration of 1-hydroxypyrene-glucuronide in urine and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in peripheral white blood cells after charbroiled beef consumption

Biological markers of internal dose and macromolecular dosefrom PAHs provide a potential means of assessing environmentalexposure to PAHs through inhalation, ingestion and percutaneousabsorption. In this study we examined the time course and interindividualvariation of 1-hydroxypyrene-glucuronide (1-OHP-gluc) excretionin urine and PAH—DNA adduct formation in peripheral whiteblood cells (WBCs) after charbroiled (CB) beef consumption.As a marker of internal dose, 1-OHP-gluc was measured in humanurine using immunoaffinity chromatography and synchronous fluorescencespectroscopy. PAH—DNA adducts were measured in WBCs byenzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in order to assessmacromolecular dose. Ten healthy non smoking males consumedidentical amounts of CB beef on five consecutive days. Multipleblood and urine samples were collected before, during, and afterthe feeding period. The morning after the first day of CB beefconsumption, individual urinary concentrations of 1-OHP-glucincreased 10- to 80-fold (range:2.0–16.6 pmol/ml urine)aboveprefeed baseline concentreations (0.23±0.11pmol/ml) inthe 10 subjects. 1-OHP-gluc concentration decreased to nearbaseline levels by 24–72 h after CB beef consumption ended.In contrast, PAH—DNA adducts in WBCs increased markedlyin only four of 10 subjects during or after CB beef consumption.Significant interindividual variation was observed for bothurinary 1-OHP-gluc concentration (P < 0.001 by Kruskal—Wallis)and PAH—DNA adduct levels (P < 0.005) during the feedingperiod. The mean urinary 1-OHP-gluc concentration for each subjectduring and immediately after (days 2–8) the feeding periodwas significantly correlated with their mean PAH—DNA adductlevel in WBCs during the same time period (Spearman r = 0.79,P<0.01). Evidence of segregation of the subjects into separateresponse groups based on level of urinary 1-OHP-gluc was observed,suggesting that discrete determaints may regulate the absorption,metabolism and/or excretion of ingested pyrene.