Biomaterial Database

Sex is an important variable affecting spontaneous micronucleus frequency in cytokinesis-blocked lymphocytes. 1994

M Fenech, and S Neville, and J Rinaldi

CSIRO Division of Human Nutrition, Adelaide, Australia.

The micronucleus frequency in cytokinesis-blocked lymphocytes of 152 females and 113 males aged between 20 and 89 years (minimum of 15 subjects per sex per decade) was compared. Marked differences in the micronucleus frequency of males and females were observed: (a) there was a greater dispersion in the results for females when compared to males in all age groups older than 40 years; (b) there was a significant positive correlation between micronucleus frequency and age in both sexes (p < 0.0001) but the slope of the linear regression line was steeper in females (slope = 0.499 micronuclei/year) compared to males (slope = 0.289 micronuclei/year) (p < 0.0045); (c) the micronucleus frequency in females (Mf) was significantly higher than the micronucleus frequency in males (Mm) in all decades examined (p < 0.05), the Mf,Mm ratio varied between 1.47 and 1.65 (mean +/- 1 SEM = 1.53 +/- 0.03) and showed no trend with age. These results suggest that an added mechanism, possibly the loss of X chromosomes, is contributing to the micronucleus frequency in females and highlights the importance of sex as a variable that has to be taken into consideration when interpreting data from cross-sectional studies utilising the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay as a biomarker of chromosome damage.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008019	Life Style	Typical way of life or manner of living characteristic of an individual or group. (From APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 8th ed)	Lifestyle Factors,Life Style Induced Illness,Lifestyle,Factor, Lifestyle,Life Styles,Lifestyle Factor,Lifestyles
D008213	Lymphocyte Activation	Morphologic alteration of small B LYMPHOCYTES or T LYMPHOCYTES in culture into large blast-like cells able to synthesize DNA and RNA and to divide mitotically. It is induced by INTERLEUKINS; MITOGENS such as PHYTOHEMAGGLUTININS, and by specific ANTIGENS. It may also occur in vivo as in GRAFT REJECTION.	Blast Transformation,Blastogenesis,Lymphoblast Transformation,Lymphocyte Stimulation,Lymphocyte Transformation,Transformation, Blast,Transformation, Lymphoblast,Transformation, Lymphocyte,Activation, Lymphocyte,Stimulation, Lymphocyte
D008214	Lymphocytes	White blood cells formed in the body's lymphoid tissue. The nucleus is round or ovoid with coarse, irregularly clumped chromatin while the cytoplasm is typically pale blue with azurophilic (if any) granules. Most lymphocytes can be classified as either T or B (with subpopulations of each), or NATURAL KILLER CELLS.	Lymphoid Cells,Cell, Lymphoid,Cells, Lymphoid,Lymphocyte,Lymphoid Cell
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D012044	Regression Analysis	Procedures for finding the mathematical function which best describes the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables. In linear regression (see LINEAR MODELS) the relationship is constrained to be a straight line and LEAST-SQUARES ANALYSIS is used to determine the best fit. In logistic regression (see LOGISTIC MODELS) the dependent variable is qualitative rather than continuously variable and LIKELIHOOD FUNCTIONS are used to find the best relationship. In multiple regression, the dependent variable is considered to depend on more than a single independent variable.	Regression Diagnostics,Statistical Regression,Analysis, Regression,Analyses, Regression,Diagnostics, Regression,Regression Analyses,Regression, Statistical,Regressions, Statistical,Statistical Regressions
D002478	Cells, Cultured	Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.	Cultured Cells,Cell, Cultured,Cultured Cell
D005260	Female		Females
D006304	Health Status	The level of health of the individual, group, or population as subjectively assessed by the individual or by more objective measures.	General Health,General Health Level,General Health Status,Level of Health,Overall Health,Overall Health Status,General Health Levels,Health Level,Health Level, General,Health Levels,Health Status, General,Health Status, Overall,Health, General,Health, Overall,Level, General Health,Levels, General Health,Status, General Health,Status, Health,Status, Overall Health
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man