Burgdorf W, Kurvink K, Cervenka J
Hum Genet. 1977 Apr 7;36(1):69-72. doi: 10.1007/BF00390438.
An elevated sister chromatid exchange (SCE) rate was found in the lymphocytes of six patients treated with arsenic. All had stigmata of arsenic use as well as biopsy-proven skin cancers. The arsenic exposed patients had a mean of 14.00 SCE/mitosis while 44 normal controls had a mean of 5.8 SCE/mitosis. Chromosome breakage analysis revealed no difference between the two groups. SCE rate has been shown to be elevated in a variety of systems where cell cultures or experimental animals were exposed to known mutagens and carcinogens. We suggest that the relationship carcinogen exposure-elevated SCE rate-cancer may also be valid in humans treated with arsenic.