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.
Lucas
J N
JN
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, Livermore, CA 94551.
Straume
T
T
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*