Xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts are more sensitive to asbestos fibers than are normal human fibroblasts.

Xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts (XPF) are defective in the repair of certain DNA adducts. We show here that XPF cells are more sensitive to the toxic effects of chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite asbestos than are normal human fibroblasts (NF). XPF cells from different complementation groups have a sensitivity to chrysotile which parallels the degree of their DNA repair deficiency. In addition, the survival of normal cells after chrysotile exposure increases with time if they are kept from replicating, while the survival of XPF cells under the same circumstances does not change.