CHROMOSOME-ABERRATIONS IN LYMPHOCYTE-CULTURES FROM PARACOCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS PATIENTS

Blood cell lymphocyte chromosomes from untreated (UT) and clinically-c ured (CC) patients with paracoccidioidomycosis and from healthy (contr ol) people (CO) were studied. The frequency of aneuploid cells in the UT patients was higher than in the CC and CO individuals. The frequenc y of metaphase cells with premature centromere division was significan tly higher in the UT than in the CC and CO group. No structural aberra tion and no statistically significant difference in the frequency of p olyploidy was observed in the three groups studied. Our findings are i ndicative of an aneugenic (aneuploidy-inducing) action of infection by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis.