Inhibition and recovery of DNA synthesis in PHA-stimulated u.v.-irradiated lymphocytes from patients with actinic keratosis.

The recovery, after inhibition by u.v.-irradiation, of phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated DNA synthesis is impaired in lymphocytes from patients with multiple actinic keratoses (AK) compared to the recovery in lymphocytes from age-matched, control individuals. This shows that the reduced level (50%) of DNA repair activity in AK cells is sufficiently different from that in normal cells to significantly affect cellular activity.