Chromosome instability in patients with medullary carcinoma of the thyroid

Abstract

Chromosome analysis in the cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes of multiple endocrine adenomatosis (MEA-II) patients and their siblings demonstrated a higher frequency of metaphases with chromosome and chromatid type abnormalities (average 11.0%) than did controls (average, 3.8%). MEA-II patients apparently exhibit some degree of chromosome instability.