Aplastic anaemia: residue analysis of chlorinated hydrocarbons in human bone marrow biopsy specimens by high resolution gas chromatography

In a first small study the chlorinated hydrocarbons present in the bone marrow of haematologically normal persons and of 6 randomly selected patients with severe aplastic anaemia have been identified and quantified by glass-capillary gas chromatography. We found great interindividual differences in the concentrations of these compounds both within the control group and within the patient group, but no definite difference between the two groups. So far, we have been unable to detect known toxic concentrations of chlorinated hydrocarbons in any of our samples, which could have supported the idea of a deficiency in the metabolism of these chemicals in some patients with aplastic anaemia.