Gender dependent accumulation of dioxins in smokers.

Fierens, S; Eppe, G; De Pauw, E; Bernard, A · Occup Environ Med · 2005

cross_sectional · Level IV

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Abstract

To evaluate the contribution of tobacco smoking to dioxin accumulation. Dioxin (17 PCDD/F) concentrations in fasting blood from 251 subjects (161 never smokers, 54 past smokers, and 36 current smokers) were quantified. Whereas serum dioxin concentrations of male smokers were on average 40% higher than those of non-smokers, in women, smoking was associated with significantly lower serum dioxin levels. A synergistic potentiation of dioxin metabolism by tobacco smoke in women is postulated to explain these paradoxical findings. Current smoking is associated with gender dependent effects on dioxin body burden and is a potential source of confounding in human studies using blood dioxins as indicators of exposure.

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