The use of carcinogen-DNA adduct antisera for quantitation and localization of genomic damage in animal models and the human population.

The use of antibodies to detect chemical carcinogen-induced DNA damage involves quantitative determination and morphological localization utilizing antisera specific for carcinogen-DNA adducts. In recent years a large number of polyclonal and monoclonal antisera have been produced against individual adducts and modified DNAs with addition products varying in structure from ethyl and methyl groups to aromatic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aflatoxins, and platinum-ammine complexes. The quantitative assays developed through the use of these antisera are able to detect attomole (10(-18) M) adduct concentrations, corresponding to one adduct in 10(8) nucleotides or a few hundreds of modifications per mammalian cell genome. This review focuses on data generated during the past 3 yr utilizing this immunotechnology as a tool to probe mechanisms of carcinogen-DNA interactions in various model systems and in the human population. Areas discussed in depth include quantitative and morphological studies involving detection of 2-acetylaminofluorene-DNA adducts in rat liver, O6-ethyl and O6-methyl deoxyguanosine adducts in rat brain, benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adducts in mouse skin and cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II)-DNA adducts in peripheral nucleated blood cells of cancer patients.