Chromosomal breaks in T and B lymphocytes in Fanconi's anemia

Abstract

Three patients with Fanconi''s anemia were analyzed for chromosome breaks. T (thymus-derived) and B (bone marrow derived) cells were separated and grown in tissue culture with PHA (phytohemagglutinin) and pokeweed antigen to ascertain the rates of breakage in these lymphocytic subpopulations. There is no statistically significant difference in breakage rates in T and B lymphocytes. Both T and B cells could be involved in the development of leukemia in Fanconi''s anemia patients, assuming that chromosome breaks constitute a factor predisposing to the development of malignancy.