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a shared dialogue among Occupational and Environmental Medicine Physicians,
the Hennepin Regional Poison Center, the Minnesota Department of Health,
and the University of Minnesota School of Public Health
Environmental Exposure Grand Rounds
Wednesday, February 5, 2014 - 7am to 8am
Doors open at 6:45 AM - Coffee, juice and morning bites will be available
Tetraols as Biomarkers of Human Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Exposure
and Metabolic Activation
Presenter: Stephen S. Hecht, Ph.D., Wallin Professor of Cancer Prevention
Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota
Most common cancers are caused by non-genetic lifestyle factors including carcinogen exposure. PAHs
are among the most ubiquitous environmental carcinogens.
• Some PAHs are powerful carcinogens in laboratory animals and one of the most studied,
benzo[a]pyrene, is considered “carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for
Research on Cancer. Occupational exposures to PAHs are well-documented causes of cancers of
the skin and lung. PAHs are also likely to play a significant role as causes of cancer in smokers as
well as non-smokers with relatively high environmental or dietary exposures.
• PAHs require metabolism to exert their carcinogenic effects. One established pathway of PAH
metabolic activation to DNA binding products proceeds via the formation of “bay region diol
epoxides.” These compounds easily react with DNA to form covalently bound adducts that can
cause miscoding during replication.
• The diol epoxides also react with water to produce tetraols, which can be readily quantified by
gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our laboratory has developed methods for
quantifying phenanthrene tetraol and benzo[a]pyrene tetraol in human urine. These methods
have been applied in molecular epidemiology studies designed to assess the role of PAH as
causes of lung cancer in smokers and in non-smokers exposed to environmental or dietary PAH.
We have also used deuterated phenanthrene as a probe of PAH metabolism in smokers. The
results of some recent studies will be presented.
Minnesota Department of Health – Freeman Building - 625 Robert St. N., St. Paul, 55155
• Street parking is free before 8am
• Metered parking is available at Lot U located at N. Robert St. & 14th St. across from the
entrance to the Freeman Bldg or on the Orange Level of Centennial Parking Ramp on
Rev. Dr. MLK. Jr.Blvd
• Directions and Parking information available
at http://www.health.state.mn.us/about/freeman.html#parking
Site Assessment and Consultation Unit
(651) 201-4897 or (800) 657-3908.
[email protected]
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/hazardous/index.html