Summary
We have carried out cytogenetic studies, using the G-banding technique, in peripheral blood lymphocytes of 10 patients affected by breast carcinoma. The frequency of aberrant metaphases (7.36%) is significantly different from that of our laboratory controls (3.76% of aberrant metaphases) but not from that detected in patients suffering from bladder cancer (10.64%) and Hodgkin's disease (11.03%), two conditions that have previously been described as chromosomally unstable. Our results suggest that breast carcinoma patients show a degree of chromosomal instability that could be related to a predisposition to neoplastic disease.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barrios L, Caballín MR, Miró R, Fuster C, Berrozpe G, Subias A, Batlle X, Egozcue J (1988) Chromosome abnormalities in peripheral blood lymphocytes from untreated Hodgkin's patients. A possible evidence for chromosome instability. Hum Genet 78:320–324
Barrios L, Miró R, Caballín MR, Fuster C, Guedea F, Subias A, Egozcue J (1990) Chromosome instability in bladder carcinoma patients. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 49:107–111
Brown T, Dawson AA, McDonals IA, Bullock I, Watt JL (1985) Chromosome damage and sister chromatid exchanges in lymphocyte cultures from patients with two primary cancers. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 17:35–42
Czeizel A, Crosz L, Gardonyi J, Remenar K, Ruziscka P (1974) Chromosome studies in twelve patients with retinoblastoma. Humangenetik 22:159–166
Delhanty JDA, Davis MB, Wood J (1983) Chromosomal instability in lymphocytes, fibroblasts and colon epithelial-like cells from patients with familial polyposis coli. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 8:27–50
Dutrillaux B, Gerbault-Sereau M, Zafrani B (1990) Characterization of chromosomal anomalies in human breast cancer. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 49:203–217
Ferti-Passantonopoulou A, Panani AD, Raptis S (1991) Preferential involvement of 11q23–24 and 11p15 in breast cancer. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 51:183–188
Fitzgerald PA (1983) Premature centromere division of the X chromsome. In: Sandberg AA (ed) Cytogenetics of the mammalian X chromosome. In: Sandberg AA (ed) Cytogenetics of the mammalian X chromosome, part A: Basic mechanisms of X chromosome behavior. Liss, New York, pp 171–184
Geleick D, Müller H, Matter A, Torhorst J, Regenass U (1990) Cytogenetics of breast cancer. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 46: 217–229
Heim S, Mitelman F (1987) Cancer Cytogenetics. Liss, New York
Hsu TC (1983) Genetic instability in the human population: a working hypothesis. Hereditas 98:1–9
Madhavi R, Guntur M, Ghosh R, Gosh PK (1990) Double minute chromosomes in the leukocytes of a young girl with breast carcinoma. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 44:203–207
Murty VVVS, Mitra AB, Luthra UK (1985) Spontaneous chromosomal aberrations in patients with precancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix uteri. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 17:347–354
Nordenson I, Beckman K, Liden S, Stjernberg N (1984) Chromosomal aberrations and cancer risk. Hum Hered 34:76–81
Nuñez M de, Penchaszaden UB, Pimentel E (1984) Chromosome fragility in patients with sporadic unilateral retinoblastoma. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 11:139–141
Pathak S, Goodacre A (1986) Specific chromosome anomalies and predisposition to human breast, renal cell, and colorectal carcinoma. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 19:29–36
Takabayashi T, Lin MS, Wilson MG (1983) Sister chromatid exchanges and chromosome aberrations in fibroblasts from patients with retinoblastoma. Hum Genet 63:317–319
Wang N, Kantor A, Soldat K, Linluist K, Strand R, McLaughlin H, Schuman L (1982) Higher frequency of chromosomal aberrations and polimorphism in patients with renal carcinoma. Am J Hum Genet 34:78A
Wang N, Cedrone E, Skuse GR, Insel R, Dry J (1990) Two identical active X chromosomes in human mammary carcinoma cells. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 46:271–280
Wurster-Hill DH, Cornwell GG, McIntyre OR (1974) Chromosomal aberrations and neoplasm — a family study. Cancer 33: 72–81
Wurster-Hill DH, Cornwell GG, McIntyre OR (1979) Chromosome aberrations of myeloid and lymphoid cells in cancer patients and family members without evidence of cancer. Cancer Detect Prev 2:125–126
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Barrios, L., Caballín, M.R., Miró, R. et al. Chromosomal instability in breast cancer patients. Hum Genet 88, 39–41 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00204926
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00204926