Genetic polymorphisms of base excision repair gene XRCC1 and susceptibility to benzene among employees of chemical industries

Abstract Benzene is the most dangerous combination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to its carcinogenicity and toxic effects on the blood system. Benzene toxicity is rooted in its metabolism. This material can break the DNA and cause some changes in the base sequence. The XRCC1 gene plays an important role in repairing the damaged base since the polymorphisms of gene XRCC1 (rs1799782) and (rs25487), which lead to an increased risk of various cancers, are common. In this study, the association between the mentioned polymorphisms and the risk of individuals' vulnerability to benzene was investigated in a group of people exposed to benzene in an Iranian context. One hundred thirty-eight subjects suffering from blood disorders (case group) and 168 subjects without any blood disorder (control group) were evaluated. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was used for XRCC1 Arg194Trp and XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism detection. The results showed that XRCC1 Arg194Trp and Arg399Gln polymorphisms had no significant association with susceptibility to benzene. Similarly, Arg399Gln and Arg194Trp genotypes did not have any significant relationship with hematological parameters. The obtained results indicated that the distribution of genotypes was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in both groups. Different geographic locations, population size, and different genetic backgrounds might probably have affected the results.