Increased oxidative DNA damage and decreased expression of base excision repair proteins in airway epithelial cells of women who cook with biomass fuels

• Increased oxidative DNA damage marker 8-oxoguanine was observed in biomass-users.
• Lower percentages of BER proteins OGG1 and APE1 in airway cells of biomass-users.
• Indoor air of biomass-using households had more PM10 and PM2.5 than LPG users.
• ROS generation was doubled and level of SOD was depleted among biomass-users.
• Reduced BER proteins were associated with PM and ROS generation, SOD depletion.

To investigate whether biomass burning causes oxidative DNA damage and alters the expression of DNA base excision repair (BER) proteins in airway cells, sputum samples were collected from 80 premenopausal rural biomass-users and 70 age-matched control women who cooked with liquefied petroleum gas. Compared with control the airway cells of biomass-users showed increased DNA damage in alkaline comet assay. Biomass-users showed higher percentage of cells expressing oxidative DNA damage marker 8-oxoguanine and lower percentages of BER proteins OGG1 and APE1 by immunocytochemical staining. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was doubled and level of superoxide dismutase was depleted significantly among biomass-users. The concentrations of particulate matters were higher in biomass-using households which positively correlated with ROS generation and negatively with BER proteins expressions. ROS generation was positively correlated with 8-oxoguanine and negatively with BER proteins suggesting cooking with biomass is a risk for genotoxicity among rural women in their child-bearing age.