Analysis of chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes of long-term heavy smokers.
We assessed the incidence of structural chromosome aberrations in 500 diploid first-division metaphases from 48-h lymphocyte cultures from each of 6 non-smokers and from 6 persons who had smoked a minimum of 1 pack of cigarettes per day for at least 20 years. Cytogenetic analyses of coded slides revealed a single dicentric chromosome with its accompanying fragment and two symmetrical chromatid exchanges in 3000 metaphases from the non-smokers. In contrast, 9 dicentric chromosomes, 8 translocations or inversions, and 7 chromatid exchanges were observed in 3000 metaphases from lymphocyte cultures from the 6 heavy smokers. A total of 13 metaphases having chromosome-type inter- or intra-changes was noted including 9 with a single aberration, and 4 with 2 or more. Our findings provide additional evidence of the in vivo clastogenicity of cigarette smoke in long-term heavy smokers, and further demonstrate that the distribution of chromosome-type exchange aberrations is overdispersed relative to that expected based on Poisson assumptions.
Littlefield
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LG
Joiner
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D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking; D013997:Time Factors