Reidy J A, Zhou H G, Chen A T, Annest J L, Welty T K
Division of Environmental Health Laboratory Sciences, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Mutat Res. 1989 Apr;225(4):175-9. doi: 10.1016/0165-7992(89)90116-4.
We compared chromosome breakage in parallel, 48-h lymphocyte cultures established from smokers and nonsmokers using minimal essential medium (MEM) and MEM without folate (MEM-FA). There was a statistically significant, higher frequency of aberrations for smokers than for nonsmokers in cells cultured in MEM, but not in those cultured in MEM-FA. Thus, these data support the recommendation of the World Health Organization (1985) that population monitoring studies for exposure assessment should not use a low folate medium.