New type of cells with multiple chromosome rearrangements.

A comparative analysis of the distribution and the frequency of multiaberrant cells (MAC) among lymphocytes in different categories of low dose (up to 0.5 Gy) irradiated people was carried out. The highest MAC frequency was observed in people exposed to alpha-radiation (Pu, Rn) and in cosmonauts. This fact allows MAC to be considered as an indicator of a high-energy local exposure. A new type of cells with multiple chromosome rearrangements was discovered in the course of analysis of stable aberrations by the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method. The biological consequences of MAC formation and possibility of revealing the whole diversity of cells with multiple aberrations by means of modern molecular-cytogenetic methods are discussed.