Chromosome 16: a specific chromosomal pathway for the origin of human malignancy?

Minkler, Gofman and Tandy (1970a, b) have recently reported data on the karyotype constitutions of human tissue culture cell lines and human tumours, as gathered by a semi-automatic chromosome analysis system. The data appears to show a relationship between the relative number of "number 16" chromosomes and malignancy. We have tested the ability of the "cutting line" approach they used to correctly classify chromosomes from a sample of 723 cells from 100 normal subjects. The cutting line scheme gave very different results from those of an experienced cytogeneticist. The method also failed to give correct average numbers of chromosomes per class. We are thus led to question the conclusions reached by Minkler et al. It appears possible that their relatively consistent finding of an excess of "number 16" chromosomes in their largely hyperploid material may be an artefact of their classification scheme, arising from measurement normalization problems, rather than a reflection of a real excess of "number 16" or even of "number 16-like" chromosomes.