Alkaline comet assay in human biomonitoring studies by the Latin America / LA-COMET group

IF 2.8 4区医学 Q3 BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY

Mutation research. Genetic toxicology and environmental mutagenesis Pub Date : 2026-05-01 Epub Date: 2026-05-16 DOI:10.1016/j.mrgentox.2026.503940

Juliana Da Silva , Deidamia Franco , Ana Leticia García , Elda Leonor Pacheco-Pantoja , María Fernanda Simoniello , Noemi Tirado , Leticia Yáñez- Estrada , Guillermo Espinosa-Reyes , Ana Rosa Flores-Márquez , Sandra Gómez-Arroyo , César Ilizaliturri-Hernández , Laura Lafon-Hughes , Grethel León-Mejía , Patricia Mussali-Galante , Diana M. Narváez , Gisela L. Poletta , Celeste Ruiz de Arcaute , Sonia Soloneski , Efrain Tovar-Sánchez , Mahara Valverde , Emilio Rojas

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Technological and chemical advancements have heightened human exposure to synthetic and natural substances, necessitating precise toxicological assessments through sensitive biomarkers. The comet assay has emerged as a robust, minimally invasive tool for biomonitoring. This study reviews 64 articles published between 1997 and 2022 by the LA-COMET group—a collaborative network of 17 research teams across seven Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, and Uruguay). The analysis reveals that research primarily focuses on occupational and environmental exposures, specifically evaluating the impact of pesticides, heavy metals, organic solvents, and particulate matter. The assay proved highly effective in identifying genotoxic effects in exposed populations compared to reference groups, including vulnerable cohorts such as children, women, and patients with clinical conditions like breast cancer and malaria. To enhance future research rigor, this work utilizes and proposes standardized scoring systems, namely QSca (assay quality score) and hmQS (human monitoring quality score). Ultimately, this review underscores the comet assay’s pivotal role in characterizing regional health risks and seeks to establish evidence-based practices to inform public health policies in Latin America.

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拉丁美洲/ LA-COMET组在人体生物监测研究中的碱性彗星测定

技术和化学的进步增加了人类对合成物质和天然物质的接触，需要通过敏感的生物标志物进行精确的毒理学评估。彗星试验已经成为一种强大的、微创的生物监测工具。本研究回顾了LA-COMET小组在1997年至2022年间发表的64篇文章，该小组是一个由七个拉丁美洲国家（阿根廷、玻利维亚、巴西、哥伦比亚、墨西哥、巴拉圭和乌拉圭）的17个研究小组组成的合作网络。分析表明，研究主要集中在职业和环境暴露方面，特别是评估农药、重金属、有机溶剂和颗粒物的影响。事实证明，与参照组（包括儿童、妇女等弱势群体以及患有乳腺癌和疟疾等临床疾病的患者）相比，该检测方法在确定暴露人群的基因毒性效应方面非常有效。为了提高未来研究的严谨性，本工作利用并提出了标准化评分系统，即QSca（检测质量评分）和hmQS（人体监测质量评分）。最后，本综述强调了彗星测定法在确定区域卫生风险特征方面的关键作用，并寻求建立循证实践，为拉丁美洲的公共卫生政策提供信息。

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来源期刊

Mutation research. Genetic toxicology and environmental mutagenesis 生物-毒理学

CiteScore

3.80

自引率

5.30%

发文量

审稿时长

105 days

期刊介绍： Mutation Research - Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis (MRGTEM) publishes papers advancing knowledge in the field of genetic toxicology. Papers are welcomed in the following areas: New developments in genotoxicity testing of chemical agents (e.g. improvements in methodology of assay systems and interpretation of results). Alternatives to and refinement of the use of animals in genotoxicity testing. Nano-genotoxicology, the study of genotoxicity hazards and risks related to novel man-made nanomaterials. Studies of epigenetic changes in relation to genotoxic effects. The use of structure-activity relationships in predicting genotoxic effects. The isolation and chemical characterization of novel environmental mutagens. The measurement of genotoxic effects in human populations, when accompanied by quantitative measurements of environmental or occupational exposures. The application of novel technologies for assessing the hazard and risks associated with genotoxic substances (e.g. OMICS or other high-throughput approaches to genotoxicity testing). MRGTEM is now accepting submissions for a new section of the journal: Current Topics in Genotoxicity Testing, that will be dedicated to the discussion of current issues relating to design, interpretation and strategic use of genotoxicity tests. This section is envisaged to include discussions relating to the development of new international testing guidelines, but also to wider topics in the field. The evaluation of contrasting or opposing viewpoints is welcomed as long as the presentation is in accordance with the journal''s aims, scope, and policies.