Complete culture medium is better than low folate medium for detecting increased chromosome aberrations in smokers in 48-h lymphocyte cultures.
We compared chromosome breakage in parallel, 48-h lymphocyte cultures established from smokers and nonsmokers using minimal essential medium (MEM) and MEM without folate (MEM-FA). There was a statistically significant, higher frequency of aberrations for smokers than for nonsmokers in cells cultured in MEM, but not in those cultured in MEM-FA. Thus, these data support the recommendation of the World Health Organization (1985) that population monitoring studies for exposure assessment should not use a low folate medium.
Reidy
J A
JA
Division of Environmental Health Laboratory Sciences, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Zhou
H G
HG
Chen
A T
AT
Annest
J L
JL
Welty
T K
TK
D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D003470:Culture Media; D004249:DNA Damage; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking
D003470:Culture Media; D005492:Folic Acid