Variation in Expression and Inducibility

Cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) and 1B1 (CYP1B1) are phase I enzymes, the expression of which can be affected by many environmental compounds, including dioxins and dioxin-like compounds. Because CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 expression can easily be determined in peripheral blood lymphocytes, it is often suggested as biomarker of exposure to these compounds. In this study we investigated the interindividual differences in constitutive and induced CYP1A1-catalyzed ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity and CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 gene expression in human blood lymphocytes in a group of ten non-smoking females. Freshly isolated lymphocytes were cultured in medium contain-ing the mitogen PHA and were exposed to the most potent dioxin, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) or the less potent dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyl 126 (PCB126). In addition, we determined the occurrence of the CYP1A1 Msp