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Int Arch Occup Environ Health (2008) 81:487–493
DOI 10.1007/s00420-007-0242-8
ORGINAL ARTICLE
Chromium in exhaled breath condensate and pulmonary tissue
of non-small cell lung cancer patients
Matteo Goldoni · Andrea Caglieri · Massimo Corradi ·
Diana Poli · Michele Rusca · Paolo Carbognani ·
Antonio Mutti
Received: 24 November 2006 / Accepted: 14 August 2007 / Published online: 28 August 2007
© Springer-Verlag 2007
Abstract
Objective Chromium in exhaled breath condensate (EBC)
has recently been proposed as a biomarker of pulmonary
exposure. The aim of this study was to measure the Cr levels
in the EBC and pulmonary tissue of patients with early,
operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had not
been occupationally exposed to Cr before and after tumour
resection and to correlate Cr in lung tissue with that in
EBC.
Methods Cr levels in the EBC and pulmonary tissue of 20
NSCLC patients were measured by means of electrothermal
atomic absorption before and after tumour resection. Cr
levels were also measured in the urine of 15 of these
patients.
Results The pre-surgery EBC Cr levels of the NSCLC
patients were not diVerent from those of the controls, but
both EBC and urinary Cr levels increased after surgery.
There was a signiWcant correlation between Cr levels in
EBC and pulmonary tissue (R = 0.55, P = 0.01), but not
between these and urinary Cr levels.
M. Goldoni · A. Caglieri · M. Corradi · D. Poli · A. Mutti (&)
Laboratory of Industrial Toxicology,
Department of Clinical Medicine,
Nephrology and Health Sciences,
University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14,
43100 Parma, Italy
e-mail: antonio.mutti@unipr.it
M. Goldoni · A. Caglieri · D. Poli
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Prevention
Research Center at the University of Parma,
Via Gramsci 14, 43100 Parma, Italy
M. Rusca · P. Carbognani
Unit of Thoracic Surgery, University of Parma,
Via Gramsci 14, 43100 Parma, Italy
Conclusion Cr levels in EBC and urine of NSCLC
patients were increased after surgical intervention. Measured
Cr EBC levels were by one order of magnitude lower
than those observed in moderately exposed workers. This
fact, together with the correlation between Cr in EBC and
in pulmonary tissue, conWrms that EBC is a promising biological
Xuid to test pulmonary exposure to Cr, giving complementary
information to that provided by urinary Cr, not
correlated with EBC and tissue.
Keywords Chromium · Exhaled breath condensate ·
Lung cancer · Pulmonary tissue
Introduction
Chromium in the trivalent oxidation state [Cr(III)] shows
limited toxicological properties, whereas hexavalent chromium
[Cr(VI)] compounds have been classiWed as class 1
carcinogens by the IARC (IARC 1990). Indeed, there is
suYcient epidemiological and experimental evidence indicating
that exposure to Cr(VI) is associated with an
increased incidence of lung cancer (De Flora et al. 1990;
ATSDR 2000; De Flora 2000; Gibb et al. 2000; Park et al.
2004). Cr(VI) compounds have a number of industrial
applications and exposure usually occurs by inhalation. The
respiratory tract is therefore the primary target organ of
Cr(VI) toxicity and carcinogenicity (ATSDR 2000; De
Flora 2000).
Owing to the pneumotoxic properties of Cr(VI), some
authors have directly measured Cr concentrations in the
pulmonary tissue of chromate workers and also lung cancer
patients, because urine and blood Cr levels are more representative
of systemic than target organ exposure. In general,
chromate workers with or without lung cancer have
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