Chromosomal Aberrations in Peripheral Lymphocytes of Abstinent Alcoholics |
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| Authors: | Gilka Jorge Figaro Gattas Pedro Henrique Saldanha |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Legal Medicine, Medical Ethics, and Social/ Labor Medicine (G.J.F.G.), Medical College, University of Sāo Paulo;and the Genetic Counseling Unit (P.H.S.), Biology Depaitment, Sāo Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil. |
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| Abstract: | The frequency of structural and/or numerical chromosomal aberrations in human metaphasic cells of lymphocyte cultures from abstinent alcoholics who were abstinent for 1 month up to 32 years was compared with those from controls not selected for alcohol consumption. Cytogenetic analyses revealed a significant increase of the frequencies of cells with structural aberrations in the abstinent alcoholics (7.1 %), compared with controls (2.4%). The frequency of numerical aberrations showed a significant regression on ages in abstinent alcoholics and controls. These results suggest specific action of chronic alcohol consumption impairing biological repair with aging. The increased frequency of chromosome-type aberrations associated with alcohol consumption, even after long withdrawal, could be due to an action of ethanol or its metabolites on primordial leukopoietic cells. |
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| Keywords: | Alcoholics Chromosome Aberrations Clastogenesis Alcohol Abstinence Cytogenetic Analysis |
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