A pilot study on polychlorinated biphenyl levels in the bone marrow of healthy individuals and leukemia patients.

In this pilot study the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was determined by capillary column gas chromatography in bone marrow from 29 adults. The highest concentration in all adult individuals was detected for PCB no. 180 (mean = 0.991) followed by two other highly chlorinated PCBs, no. 153 (mean = 0.918) and no. 138 (mean = 0.927). The less chlorinated PCBs, no. 101 (mean = 0.255), no. 52 (mean = 0.161), and no. 28 (mean = 0.324) contributed to a lesser extent. Additional samples from children (N = 19) were used to assess the dependence of PCB concentrations on patient age (Scheele et al. Eur J Pediatr 1992; 151:802-805). When comparing the data of adult leukemia and lymphoma patients with a reference group of healthy adult individuals, no significant increase in the leukemia patients was found.