Analysis of FISH-painted chromosomes in individuals living near the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site.

The Semipalatinsk nuclear test site (STS) is located in the Republic of Kazakhstan. A total of 498 nuclear weapons tests were conducted in this area between 1949 and 1989. The radiation exposure to people who lived close to the STS resulted mostly from the above-ground explosions.

Involvement of specific chromosomes in radiation-induced rearrangements detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

We investigated the involvement of chromosomes in dicentrics and translocations in human peripheral blood lymphocytes exposed to X-rays in vitro. Chromosomes 2, 4, 8, 13, 15, 16, and 22 were analyzed in three cocktails of different combinations using whole chromosome probes (WCP) with the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-painting technique. The results showed overexpression of chromosomes 2, 8, and 22 in translocation, the majority being of the complete type.

Reciprocal translocations as an indicator for radiation exposures in the low dose range.

A few years back, the frequency of dicentrics was determined shortly after exposure in five accidentally exposed radiation workers. In all cases the observed dicentric yield was significantly higher in comparison with the background level, and the resulting estimated whole body doses lay between 0.2 and 0.

Chromosomal aberrations in peripheral lymphocytes from healthy subjects as detected in first cell division.

Baseline frequencies of chromosomal aberrations were analysed in human peripheral lymphocytes and the influence of age, sex and smoking habits was considered. From 53 healthy subjects (29 males, 24 females) 54,689 exclusively first division cells (M1) were scored. The frequencies of chromosome aberrations per 1000 cells were 1.

The influence of age, sex and smoking habits on the background level of fish-detected translocations.

Chromosomal aberrations have been used for biological dosimetry for many years but dicentric yield decreases with time after irradiation. Since translocation yields should persist in peripheral lymphocytes with time they should prove to be a better indicator in the detection of old and chronic exposures to ionising radiations. The precondition, however, is knowledge of the control level in healthy subjects exposed only to normal background and also knowledge of confounding factors.