Non-cancer related chromosome translocation frequency measured from a leukemia patient's blood.
A new approach used to measure pre-cancer-induced genetic damage in a patient diagnosed as early B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, by totally separating the malignant B-lymphocytes and the normal T-lymphocytes is described. The lymphocytes separation by a rosetting method and chromosome translocation analysis using chromosome painting were employed. In the case presented here, the utility of this approach is illustrated using blood lymphocytes from a nuclear dockyard worker who claims that his leukemia was induced by work-related radiation exposures. Blood lymphocytes were obtained after diagnosis of the disease, but prior to therapy, and measurements made of (1) the translocation frequency in separated normal T-lymphocytes and (2) the translocation frequency in phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulated lymphocytes, which include a fraction of the malignant B cells. The approach described here makes possible biodosimetry of pre-cancer exposures in these patients and may provide the dosimetric information required to establish the "probability of causation" for the observed cancer.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, Livermore, CA 94551.
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D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007953:Leukemia, Radiation-Induced / Q000235:genetics*; D009678:Nuclear Energy; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014178:Translocation, Genetic / Q000528:radiation effects*