Verification, Dosimetry and Biomonitoring of Mustard Gas Exposure via Immunochemical Detection of Mustard Gas Adducts to DNA and Proteins

The use of mustard gas in the Iran-Iraq War has stressed the need of reliable methods for retrospective detection of poisoning with chemical warfare agents. We are developing methods to detect adducts of mustard gas to DNA and proteins, which may have a life span of many days after exposure. In order to achieve high sensitivity and specificity, immunochemical detection techniques are developed. As markers to detect adducts, we synthesized N7-2- hydroxyethylthioethyl-guanine, the di-adduct di-2-guanin-7-yl-ethyl sulfide, and N3-2-hydroxyethylthioethyl-adenine, 06-2-hydroxyethylthioethyl-guanine and the corresponding 2deoxyguanosine derivative. N7-2-hydroxyethylthioethyl -guanine was shown to be the major adduct in experiments with double-stranded calf-thymus DNA and human white blood cells exposed to 355-mustard gas. The N7-guanine di-adduct and the N3-adenine adduct were formed to a lesser extent, whereas the 06-guanine adduct was not detected.... Mustard Gas, Mustard Gas HD adducts, Mustard Gas exposure, Mustard Gas DNA-Adducts, Mustard Gas DNA-adducts in human blood, Mustard Gas protein-adducts.