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Evaluation of genotoxic risk of handling cytostatic drugs in clinical pharmacy practice

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Abstract

The genotoxic risk of handling antineoplastic drugs was evaluated in fifteen women preparing chemotherapeutics in the Pharmacy Department of the University Hospital Maastricht. Twenty nurses of the same hospital, who were not exposed to cytostatics, acted as controls. Endogenous exposure to antineoplastic drugs was assessed by determination of urine mutagenicity, as well as by analysis of urinary methotrexate levels. As genotoxicological end-points, sister chromatid exchanges and hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase locus point mutations were studied in peripheral lymphocytes obtained via venous puncture. No differences in urine mutagenic activity, in sister chromatid exchange frequencies and in hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase point mutation frequencies between exposed and non-exposed groups were detected. Higher sister chromatid exchange frequency was observed in smokers as compared to non-smokers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Health Science, University of Limburg, P.O. Box 616, 6200, MD Maastricht, the Netherlands

    Ester P. Guinée,  Geja Hageman, Irene J. Welle &  Jos C. S. Kleinjans

  2. Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Toxicology, University Hospital Maastricht, P.O. Box 1918, 6201, BX Maastricht, the Netherlands

    Gert H. Beuman

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  1. Ester P. Guinée
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  2. Gert H. Beuman
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  3. Geja Hageman
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  4. Irene J. Welle
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  5. Jos C. S. Kleinjans
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Guinée, E.P., Beuman, G.H., Hageman, G. et al. Evaluation of genotoxic risk of handling cytostatic drugs in clinical pharmacy practice. Pharmaceutisch Weekblad Scientific Edition 13, 78–82 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01974985

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