Seasonal variation of DNA damage and repair in patients with non-melanoma skin cancer and referents with and without psoriasis

Quadruples of skin cancer patients with and without psoriasis and referents with and without psoriasis (4 x 20 study persons) were identified and examined for DNA damage by single cell gel electrophoresis (comet-assay) and DNA-repair by UV-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in mononuclear blood cells (lymphocytes and monocytes). DNA damage (strand breaks and alkaline labile sites) as assessed by the comet assay and DNA repair as assessed by UDS were significantly associated with the season in which blood sampling took place. This variation might be explained by an increased exposure to solar radiation. When the comet tail moment data were stratified by sampling period, an interaction between psoriasis and skin cancer was detected, with patients with psoriasis and skin cancer exhibiting more DNA damage. Patients with psoriasis and skin cancer also had lower UDS compared to healthy study persons, suggesting that the more DNA damage may be caused by a lower rate of DNA repair. In all study persons, the extent of UDS correlated positively with the amount of DNA damage determined by the comet assay. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.