Evaluation of baseline frequency of sister chromatid exchanges in an Italian population according to age, sex, smoking habits, and gene polymorphisms.

We describe the association between some phase I, phase II, and DNA-repair gene polymorphisms with increased SCEs frequencies, reinforcing the importance of genetic analysis in biomonitoring studies. Sex and age were found to be important endogenous factors that affect the level of genomic damage and the replicative capacity of cells, respectively.