X-ray-sensitivity of lymphocytes of aplastic- and Diamond-Blackfan-anemia patients as detected by conventional cytogenetic and chromosome painting techniques

Abstract

Frequencies of spontaneously occurring and X-ray induced, stable and unstable types of chromosome aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes from two groups of radiosensitive patients, i.e., aplastic anemia (AA) and Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA), were determined. Two types of staining methods, i.e., chromosome painting with two cocktails of chromosome-specific DNA libraries (Nos. 1, 3, X and Nos. 2, 4 and 8), as well as conventional Giemsa staining, were employed. Chromosome painting was done with single and multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The frequencies of spontaneously occurring chromosome aberrations in AA and DBA patients were not significantly different from healthy individuals. Hypersensitivity to X-rays was seen both in G 0 as well as in G 2 phase of the cell cycle in lymphocytes from AA and DBA patients, confirming our earlier findings using micronucleus (DBA) and G 2 radiosensitivity (AA) assays.