Chromosomal aberrations in peripheral lymphocytes of abstinent alcoholics

The frequency of structural and/or numerical chromosomal aberrations in human metaphasic cells of lymphocyte cultures from abstinent alcoholics who were abstinent for 1 month up to 32 years was compared with those from controls not selected for alcohol consumption. Cytogenetic analyses revealed a significant increase of the frequencies of cells with structural aberrations in the abstinent alcoholics (7.1%), compared with controls (2.4%). The frequency of numerical aberrations showed a significant regression on ages in abstinent alcoholics and controls. These results suggest specific action of chronic alcohol consumption impairing biological repair with aging. The increased frequency of chromosome-type aberrations associated with alcohol consumption, even after long withdrawal, could be due to an action of ethanol or its metabolites on primordial leukopoietic cells.