Lymphoblastoid lines and skin fibroblasts from patients with tuberous sclerosis are abnormally sensitive to ionizing radiation and to a radiomimetic chemical.

Lymphoblastoid lines, derived by transforming peripheral blood lymphocytes with Epstein-Barr virus, and skin fibroblast lines were established from two patients with tuberous sclerosis. The number of viable lymphoblastoid cells was determined by their ability to exclude the vital dye trypan blue after their irradiation with x-rays or 254 nm ultraviolet light. The growth of fibroblasts was determined by their ability to form colonies after treatment with the radiomimetic, DNA-damaging chemical N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. The tuberous sclerosis lymphoblastoid lines were hypersensitive to x-rays but had normal sensitivity to the ultraviolet radiation. The tuberous sclerosis fibroblast lines were hypersensitive to the N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. The hypersensitivity of tuberous sclerosis cells to x-rays and to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine is believed to reflect defective repair of DNA damaged by these agents and may provide the basis for in vitro, including prenatal, diagnostic tests for tuberous sclerosis.