title: Constitutive heterochromatin polymorphism and chromosome damage in viral hepatitis.
abstract: The frequencies of chromosomal aberrations and sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were scored in relation to constitutive heterochromatin in 100 patients with viral hepatitis B, 100 patients with viral hepatitis A and 100 age- and sex-matched normal controls. 23.4%, 15% and 4% of the cells showed chromosomal aberrations in patients with hepatitis B, hepatitis A and normal controls respectively. Non-random involvement of chromosomal aberrations were also noted in chromosome 1 of patients with hepatitis B and A as compared to normal controls. The frequencies of SCEs (mean +/- S.D.) were found to be 10.40 +/- 2.83 in hepatitis B and 8.70 +/- 2.34 in hepatitis A. These values were significantly higher than the SCE frequency (mean +/- S.D.) of 5.88 +/- 2.25 observed in normal controls (P less than 0.001). The intra-chromosomal distribution of SCEs revealed a relatively increased incidence of SCEs in chromosome 1 of patients with hepatitis B and A as compared to normal controls. Analysis of constitutive heterochromatin polymorphism showed chromosome 1 qh+ to be the most frequent variant in patients with hepatitis B and A as compared to normal controls. The increased involvement of C-band variant 1 qh+ in patients with hepatitis B and A as compared to normal controls may indicate that extra heterochromatin offers additional sites for viral integration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi, India.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Ghosh
mesh_terms: D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004249:DNA Damage; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000235:genetics*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000235:genetics*; D006570:Heterochromatin; D006801:Humans; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange; D014026:Nicotiana
chemical_list: D006570:Heterochromatin