"Background:Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been linked to bladder cancer.Objective:To evaluate the role of PAHs in bladder cancer, PAHs serum levels were measured in patients and controls from a case-control study.Methods:A total of 140 bladder cancer patients and 206 healthy controls were included in the study. Sixteen PAHs were analyzed from the serum of subjects by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.Results:Serum PAHs did not appear to be related to bladder cancer risk, although the profile of contamination by PAHs was different between patients and controls: pyrene (Pyr) was solely detected in controls and chrysene (Chry) was exclusively detected in the cases. Phenanthrene (Phe) serum levels were inversely associated with bladder cancer (OR?=?0·79, 95%CI?=?0·64–0·99, P?=?0·030), although this effect disappeared when the allelic distribution of glutathione-S-transferase polymorphisms of the population was introduced into the model (multinomial logistic regression test, P?=?0·933). Smoking (OR?=?3·62, 95%CI?=?1·93–6·79, P<0·0001) and coffee consumption (OR?=?1·73, 95%CI?=?1·04–2·86, P?=?0·033) were relevant risk factors for bladder cancer.Conclusions:Specific PAH mixtures may play a relevant role in bladder cancer, although such effect seems to be highly modulated by polymorphisms in genes encoding xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes."

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