BCL‐2/JH translocation in peripheral blood lymphocytes of unexposed individuals: Lack of seasonal variations in frequency and molecular features
Résumé
BCL-2/J H rearrangement has been proposed as a biomarker for evaluating the genotoxicity of occupational and environmental exposures. Available data on time-related modification of this rearrangement in peripheral blood lymphocytes in unexposed healthy individuals is scarce. We investigated the characteristics of BCL-2/J H rearrangements in 33 adults unexposed to genotoxins at 2 seasonal time points: winter and spring. BCL-2/J H rearrangement was detected in 79% of individuals (detection limit ؍ 8.48 ؋ 10 ؊8 ). Its frequency ranged from <1 to 40 translocations per million lymphocytes with a significant (p ؍ 0.04) positive correlation with age. No significant modifications of BCL-2/J H rearrangement frequency or in the number of clones harboring this rearrangement were observed according the 2 time points. No obvious influence of season-related environmental factors on frequency or molecular features of BCL-2/J H rearrangements was found in this population suggesting that this would not be a confounding factor.