Studies on the haematologic and cytogenetic effect of lithium.

The corpuscular elements of the peripheral blod and the morphology and chromosome constitution of bone marrow cells have been studied in patients before and during lithium therapy as well as in patients who had received lithium for a substantial period. Lithium therapy produced elevated total white cell, granulocyte, eosinophil and thrombocyte counts and a lymphocytopenia, whereas no effect was seen on the erythrocyte and reticulocyte counts. There were no morphological or cytogenetic changes in the bone marrow aspirates. Neither were toxic doses of lithium able to produce chromosome abnormalities in rats.