DISTRIBUTION OF ARYL-HYDROCARBON HYDROXYLASE INDUCIBILITY IN CULTURED HUMAN LYMPHOCYTES

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  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 37  (6) , 1829-1837
Abstract
Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) was measured in cultured human lymphocytes. A striking seasonal variation in AHH activity was observed with induced AHH activity levels from Jan.-May measuring 20% of the values during the remainder of the year. AHH inducibility was determined by comparing Lymphocytes from the same person cultured with and without the [carcinogenic] inducer 3-methylcholanthrene. If measurements are limited to the summer and fall seasons when AHH activity is high, AHH inducibility is reproducible for most persons with repeat determinations on the same person averaging 11% from the mean. The values of AHH inducibility in 53 persons ranged from 0.9-5.0, but the distribution of values did not fall into 3 nonoverlapping classes as reported by others. The distribution of AHH inducibility in lung cancer patients could not be determined since lymphocytes from less than half of the patients tested could be successfully cultured.