Occupational exposure to genotoxic chemical substances in clinical diagnostic laboratories and cellular mechanisms related to DNA damage: systematic review of observational studies

Objectives  To identify the main genotoxic chemical substances used in different clinical diagnostic laboratories and to investigate the cellular mechanisms involved in DNA damage caused by these substances.

Methods  To identify the genotoxic chemical substances used in diagnostic laboratories, a systematic review was conducted. To investigate the cellular mechanisms associated with DNA damage caused by these substances, systems biology was applied to construct interaction networks between the chemical compounds and proteins.

Results  A total of 20 full articles were assessed for eligibility. The main genotoxic substances used in laboratories identified in the included studies were: formaldehyde, n-hexane, and methanol. In the systems biology analysis, bioprocesses such as post-translational modification, phosphorylation, response to apoptosis, regulation of cell communication, and cellular response to reactive oxygen species, among others, stood out.

Conclusion  Twenty-four substances potentially harmful to DNA were identified in clinical analysis laboratories. The bioprocesses associated with these substances may be related to cellular processes that lead to DNA damage.

Keywords
Chemicals; Genotoxicity; DNA; Occupational Exposure; Laboratory; Occupational Health; Systematic Review; Systems Biology