Evidence of oligonucleotides containing 8 -hydroxy -2' -deoxyguanosine in human urine

Abstract The product of oxidative damage to DNA, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), when detected in urine, is considered to be a global, noninvasive biomarker of in vivo oxidative DNA damage. In this paper we describe a novel approach to confirm the presence of oligonucleotides containing 8-OHdG in human urine. Fractions of urine were prepared by gel-filtration chromatography, and the presence of oligonucleotides was confirmed by ELISA using a monoclonal anti-(single-stranded DNA) antibody. Pools of urine fractions were subsequently prepared according to ELISA reactivity, each containing oligonucleotides with a known range of base numbers. The level of 8-OHdG in each pool was subsequently determined using a commercial ELISA kit. Results confirmed that oligonucleotides containing 8-OHdG are present in urine and, most significantly, oligomers of