Sister chromatid exchanges in human lymphocytes treated with combinations of cytotoxic drugs

Lymphocytes from peripheral blood of either 'normal' donors or patients with cancer were stimulated to divide in culture medium containing 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine. During 74 hr of incubation, the cells were exposed to single agents or to permutations of two combinations of chemotherapeutic drugs, namely MOPP or cyclophosphamide and methotrexate. Only mustine and cyclophosphamide (activated and not activated) increased the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE). Neither vincristine, procarbazine or prednisolone with mustine, nor methotrexate with cyclophosphamide altered the number of SCEs expected from the use of mustine or cyclophosphamide alone. There was no difference in the response of cells from cancer patients and 'normal' subjects to the drugs. If the drugs of these two regimens do interact with one another to enhance the amount of subcellular damage, this is not manifested by changes in the number of SCEs in human lymphocytes in vitro.