Screening for deficits in DNA repair by the response of irradiated human lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1977 · Cancer Res.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5761621

Agarwal, S S; Brown, D Q; Katz, E J; Loeb, L A

An assay has been developed to measure the ability of human lymphocytes to repair damage to DNA. In this assay, purified human lymphocytes are exposed to graded doses of radiation and then stimulated with phytohemagglutinin to undergo DNA replication. The rate of incorporation of thymidine in irradiated lymphocytes during the second and subsequent rounds of DNA replication is taken to be indicative of the ability of the cells to repair damage to DNA. In lymphocytes from normal individuals, x-irradiation with doses of 100 to 800 rads was found to inhibit phytohemagglutinin-stimulated thymidine incorporation proportionally to the dose of radiation without curtailing the induction of DNA polymerase. The response to phytohemagglutinin of lymphocytes from a patient with xeroderma pigmentosum after exposure to graded doses of x-irradiation was found to be similar to that of the normal controls, whereas the response after ultraviolet irradiation was markedly impaired. In contrast, lymphocytes from patients with ataxia telangiectasia were hypersensitive to x-irradiation. The data on these clinical syndromes support the idea that this assay measures DNA repair and indicates the feasibility of using this method for screening individuals for genetic deficits in DNA repair.

• Research Organization: Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
• OSTI ID: 5761621
• Journal Information: Cancer Res.; (United States), Journal Name: Cancer Res.; (United States) Vol. 37:10; ISSN CNREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550200* -- Biochemistry
550600 -- Medicine
560115 -- Radiation Effects on Biochemicals-- In Man-- (-1987)
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AGGLUTININS
ANIMAL CELLS
AZINES
BIOASSAY
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RECOVERY
BIOLOGICAL REPAIR
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY FLUIDS
CARBOHYDRATES
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
DISEASES
DNA
DNA REPLICATION
DOSES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENZYMES
HEMAGGLUTININS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEUKOCYTES
LYMPHOCYTES
MITOGENS
MUCOPROTEINS
NUCLEIC ACID REPLICATION
NUCLEIC ACIDS
NUCLEOSIDES
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PATIENTS
PHYTOHEMAGGLUTININ
POLYMERASES
POLYSACCHARIDES
PROTEINS
PYRIMIDINES
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RECOVERY
REPAIR
RESPONSE MODIFYING FACTORS
RIBOSIDES
SACCHARIDES
SKIN DISEASES
SOMATIC CELLS
TELANGIECTASIS
THYMIDINE
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
X RADIATION
XERODERMA PIGMENTOSUM