[Cytogenetic studies after contact with juvenile blastic leukemias]

Persons with long professionell contact to acute childhood leukemia and first-degree relatives had a higher tendency of chromosome bursting off in the metaphases from cultivated lymphocytes. Since persons with contact and relatives for one thing and controls for another showed significant differences in the degree of hurtibility of metaphases, cultivation ane preparation could not be responsible for themselves. It is discussed whether the contact to childhood leukemia may lead to any reaction between peripheral lymphocytes and an infectious agent. This reaction itself leads to a higher susceptibility of metaphases from peripheral lymphocytes to the injuring laboratory conditions.