Detection of Urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) Levels as a Biomarker of Oxidative DNA Damage among Home Industry Workers Exposed to Chromium

Electroplating workers are using chromium during the working process. Clinical and laboratory evidence indicates that exposure of chromium is very toxic if it is inhaled and can lead to oxidative DNA damage. This study was aimed to investigate factors associated to the urinary 8 - OHdG levels as a biomarker of oxidative DNA damage. Sixty six subjects from electroplating home industry in Tegal, Central Java were included. Urinary chromium levels were determined using AAS. The urinary 8-OHdG level as oxidative DNA damage was measured using ELISA. The levels of chromium in all sample were higher than the normal range (median 11.77 μg/L), the median of urinary 8-OHdG level was 23.83 ng/ml. Eventhough, age and urinary chromium level were not associated with urinary 8-OHdG's levels, there was a significant association between the period of works and the type of jobs to the urinary 8 - OHdG levels.