Publication in Science: Smoking is associated with mosaic loss of chromosome Y.

Patrik Magnusson and Nancy Pedersen at our department have published a paper on smoking and its association with mosaic loss of chromosome Y (LOY). LOY in blood cells is associated with increased risk of nonhematological tumors and the study shows that smoking is associated with LOY in blood cells. The data also suggest that smoking has a transient and dose-dependent mutagenic effect on LOY status. The finding that smoking induces LOY thus links a preventable risk factor with the most common acquired human mutation.

• Dumanski JP, Rasi C, Lönn M, Davies H, Ingelsson M, Giedraitis V, Lannfelt L, Magnusson PK, Lindgren CM, Morris AP, Cesarini D, Johannesson M, Tiensuu Janson E, Lind L, Pedersen NL, Ingelsson E, Forsberg LA. Smoking is associated with mosaic loss of chromosome Y.