Table 1.
Main characteristics of subjects: demographic variables (age, sex); putative risk factors (smoking, diet, indoor, home, traffic, outdoor); genetic traits with modulating role (GSTM1, GSTT1), mediation variable (anti-B[a]PDE-DNA); outcomes (LTL and LmtDNAcn)
| FACTORS | STRATA | Number (row %) | Mean ± St Dev |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 41.90 ± 9.03 | ||
| Sex | 0 = Females | 285 (52.6) | |
| 1 = Males | 257 (47.4) | ||
| Smoking a | 0 = Non- Ex-smokers | 432 (79.7) | |
| 1 = Current smokers | 110 (20.3) | ||
| Diet (times/year) b | 46.8 ± 43.1 | ||
| Indoor c | 0 = not exposed | 325 (60.2) | 0.63 ± 0.87 |
| 1 = low | 104 (19.4) | ||
| 2 = medium | 96 (17.9) | ||
| 3 = high | 14 (2.61) | ||
| Home | 0 = Rural | 154 (28.4) | |
| 1 = Urban | 388 (71.6) | ||
| Traffic | 0 = Scarce / moderate | 277 (51.1) | |
| 1 = Intense | 265 (48.9) | ||
| Outdoor d | 0 = < 4 h/day | 443 (81.7) | |
| 1 = ≥4 h/day | 99 (18.3) | ||
| GSTM1e | 0 = (*0/*0) | 296 (55.1) | |
| 1 = *1/*1 and *0/*1 | 241 (44.9) | ||
| GSTT1 | 0 = (*0/*0) | 97 (18.1) | |
| 1 = *1/*1 and *0/*1 | 440 (81.9) | ||
| Anti-B[a]PDE-DNA f | 1.35 ± 2.87 | ||
| LTL | 0 = below 0.896 | 271 (49.9) | 1.00 ± 0.45 |
| 1 = equal /above 0.896 | 272 (50.1) | ||
| LmtDNAcn | 1.13 ± 0.31 |
aSmokers: current cigarette smokers were subjects smoking for at least 1 month before enrolment in the study
bSubjects consuming charcoaled meat or pizza (times/year)
c Sum of several factors: presence of fireplace or coal- or wood-stoves at home; hobbies with introduction of PAHs; exposure to passive smoking
d Exposure to outdoor pollution
e The absence of the specific GSTM1 fragment indicated the corresponding null genotype (*0/*0), and its presence corresponded to the *1/*1 and *0/*l genotypes
f A value of 0.125 adducts/108 nucleotides was assigned to 299 participants (56%) with non-detectable adducts. Samples with ≥0.5 adduct/108 nucleotides were positive