Evaluation of Genetic Damage in Persons Occupationally Exposed to Antineoplastic Drugs in Serbian Hospitals.

Introduction: Although useful in the treatment of malignant cells, antineoplastic drugs (ANPDs) as chemical genotoxic agents, can interfere with normal cell physiology causing genetic damage and unfavourable health effects, especially in occupationally exposed persons. The Cytokinesis-block Micronucleus (CBMN) Cytome assay has been widely used in human biomonitoring studies as a reliable biomarker of chemical genotoxic exposure.

Objectives: Our comprehensive research was conducted in order to evaluate micronuclei as a marker for preventive medical screening purposes for persons occupationally exposed to ANPDs.

A cytogenetic study of hospital workers occupationally exposed to radionuclides in Serbia: premature centromere division as novel biomarker of exposure?

Purpose: The health risk of chronic exposure to radionuclides includes changes in the genome (e.g., chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei) that increase chromosomal instability.

New models for prediction of micronuclei formation in nuclear medicine department workers.

Background: Ionizing radiation causes detrimental health effects such as cancer and genetic damage. The study aim was to determine predictors for micronuclei (MN) occurrence and frequency in peripheral blood lymphocytes of health workers professionally exposed to radiation.

Methods: Health workers, age matched, selected for the study on regular check-ups, were divided according to the radiation exposure.

Inter-individual variability in the response of human peripheral blood lymphocytes to ionizing radiation: comparison of the dicentric and micronucleus assays.

Ionizing radiation can induce a wide range of DNA damage that leads to chromosomal aberrations. Some of those aberrations (dicentrics and micronuclei) are applied in biodosimetry. Biological dosimetry assumes similar radiosensitivity of each donor, but it does not exclude inter-individual variations in radiation susceptibility.

Detection of premature segregation of centromeres in persons exposed to ionizing radiation.

We have analyzed the frequency of premature centromeric division (PCD) in medical personnel professionally exposed to low doses of radiation. They had chromosome aberrations (CAs) involving dicentric chromosomes, ring chromosomes, acentric fragments, chromosome breaks, and chromatid breaks. The study included 30 exposed subjects and 23 controls who were each analyzed by a conventional cytogenetics procedure and subsequently by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH).