EVALUATION OF SISTER-CHROMATID EXCHANGE AND CHROMOSOME BREAKS IN A COHORT OF UNTREATED HODGKINS-DISEASE PATIENTS

Cytogenetic biomarkers, chromosomal breaks [spontaneous breaks (SE) an d bleomycin-induced breaks (BIB)], and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) have been shown to be sensitive cytological assays to detect suscepti bility to DNA-damaging effects, however, little information is availab le on how environmental factors and demographic and clinical character istics influence variation among individuals, We sought to characteriz e interindividual variability in a cohort of 105 untreated adult Hodgk in's disease patients, SE, BIB, and SCE data were integrated with epid emiological data by using linear regression analysis, Age, sex, ethnic ity, education, histology, history of mononucleosis, and family histor y of cancer showed no association with any biomarker, In univariate an alysis, alcohol intake was significantly associated with high SCEs (P = 0.005) and SBs (P = 0.02), Current smoking was associated only with high frequencies of SCE (P = 0.05). Advanced stage of disease was rela ted with high SBs (P = 0.01), BIBs were not associated with any of the variables studied, In multivariate modeling, current alcohol intake w as associated with high SCEs (P = 0.04) and SBs (P = 0.01), Former smo kers had higher SBs than nonsmokers did (P = 0.02). A small positive c orrelation was found among each pair of markers, The higher SCEs and S Bs in patients who smoke and consume alcohol indicate the need for eva luating these exposures when interpreting these biomarkers.