This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Arlett, C F Articles by Plowman, P N Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Arlett, C F Articles by Plowman, P N

Minimal ionizing radiation sensitivity in a large cohort of xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts

¹ Genome Damage and Stability Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9RQ, ² School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Cockcroft Building, Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, ³ Radiotherapy/Clinical Oncology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, 25 Bartholomew Close, West Smithfield, London, EC1A 7BE, UK

Correspondence: C F Arlett, Genome Damage and Stability Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9RQ, UK. E-mail: colin-a{at}solutions-inc.co.uk; GDSC{at}sussex.ac.uk

We have examined our ionizing radiation survival data for 33 xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) primary fibroblast lines and compared the data to that of 53 normal fibroblast lines, 7 Cockayne syndrome (CS) lines, 4 combined XP/CS lines and 8 ataxia-telangiectasia fibroblast lines. Although there are differences in radiosensitivity between cell lines within each class, we have no convincing evidence that XP lines as a group are more sensitive to ionizing radiation than the general population. However, because the XP phenotype may lead to premature ageing, especially of sun-exposed tissues, we would still advocate caution when XP patients come to radiotherapy. Our results confirm the extreme ionizing radiation hypersensitivity of ataxia-telangiectasia; they are also consistent with a tendency for slight hypersensitivity in CS, but not (necessarily) in combined XP/CS.