The impact of chemical exposure on the transcriptome of informal workers

Abstract

Transcription of the genetic code into mRNA can be influenced at different stages of development, considering physiological status, tissue type, and different environmental factors. In the present study, a transcriptomics approach will be used to compare gene expression between subpopulations that are exposed to different sets of occupational and environmental conditions. The city of Limeira has the title of "Brazil's plated jewelry capital". The subjects of the Limeira investigation will be informal outsourced workers involved in home production of jewelry and fashion jewelry. The city of Volta Redonda in the State of Rio de Janeiro is the seat of one of the largest steel complexes in Latin America, the "Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional" (CSN). The formal workers included in this research will be CSN workers. In this context, a continuous evaluation of the situation of environmental deterioration and occupational exposure is required. The study objective is to evaluate whether informal household work with jewelry and fashion jewelry in Limeira and formal work in the steel mill in Volta Redonda can alter the workers' transcriptome. Venous blood samples (2.5 mL) will be collected from informal workers, indicated by the Municipal Health Department of Limeira, who agreed to participate in the study (n=20) and control group (n=22) for the determination of total metals and transcriptomic analysis. In Volta Redonda, participants will be selected with the snowball technique and the blood samples will be collected from workers (n=15) and controls (n=11). The procedures for RNA isolation, analysis in microarray, and data analysis will be carried out at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Greece, which is one of the exposome analysis center. (AU)