Hantson P, Verellen-Dumoulin C, Libouton JM, Leonard A, Leonard ED, Mahieu P

Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cytogenetic effects following the ingestion of high doses of arsenicals. METHODS: Determination of the mean sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequency and the population of high-frequency cells (HFC, cells  with a high SCE frequency) in the peripheral blood lymphocytes in four patients who ingested 150 mg KAsO2, 1 g, 10 g and  0 g As2O3 respectively. RESULTS: Doses of 10 g and 20 g significantly increased the HFC frequency and produced a shift n the distribution of the cells in accordance with the number of SCEs. The mean frequency of SCEs/cell was affected only after the highest dose (20 g). CONCLUSION: These results strongly suggest that cytogenetic methods areinappropriate for biomonitoring people occupationally exposed to arsenicals.

PMID: 8832300, UI: 96429199