A significantly higher frequency of baseline sister chromatid exchange (SCE) was found in the cultured lymphocytes of 13 Blackfoot disease patients (BFP) in comparison with that of healthy persons (HP). Twelve of these BFP consumed well water containing a high concentration of arsenic for 15 years or longer and had switched to drinking tap water 12 years before the time of this study. Sodium arsenite was found to be effective in increasing the SCE frequency and delaying the cell growth of the lymphocytes from both BFP and HP. However, the SCE increment induced by sodium arsenite as well as the progression of the cell divisions in the cultured lymphocytes showed no significant difference between BFP and HP.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.