Interindividual differences in the concentration of 1-hydroxypyrene-glucuronide in urine and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in peripheral white blood cells after charbroiled beef consumption.

Biological markers of internal dose and macromolecular dose from PAHs provide a potential means of assessing environmental exposure to PAHs through inhalation, ingestion and percutaneous absorption. In this study we examined the time course and interindividual variation of 1-hydroxypyrene-glucuronide (1-OHP-gluc) excretion in urine and PAH-DNA adduct formation in peripheral white blood cells (WBCs) after charbroiled (CB) beef consumption. As a marker of internal dose, 1-OHP-gluc was measured in human urine using immunoaffinity chromatography and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. PAH-DNA adducts were measured in WBCs by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in order to assess macromolecular dose. Ten healthy non-smoking males consumed identical amounts of CB beef on five consecutive days. Multiple blood and urine samples were collected before, during, and after the feeding period. The morning after the first day of CB beef consumption, individual urinary concentrations of 1-OHP-gluc increased 10- to 80-fold (range: 2.0-16.6 pmol/ml urine) above pre-feed baseline concentrations (0.23 +/- 0.11 pmol/ml) in the 10 subjects. 1-OHP-gluc concentration decreased to near baseline levels by 24-72 h after CB beef consumption ended. In contrast, PAH-DNA adducts in WBCs increased markedly in only four of 10 subjects during or after CB beef consumption. Significant interindividual variation was observed for both urinary 1-OHP-gluc concentration (P < 0.001 by Kruskal-Wallis) and PAH-DNA adduct levels (P < 0.005) during the feeding period. The mean urinary 1-OHP-gluc concentration for each subject during and immediately after (days 2-8) the feeding period was significantly correlated with their mean PAH-DNA adduct level in WBCs during the same time period (Spearman r = 0.79, P < 0.01). Evidence of segregation of the subjects into separate response groups based on level of urinary 1-OHP-gluc was observed, suggesting that discrete determinants may regulate the absorption, metabolism and/or excretion of ingested pyrene.