Chromosome aberrations and rogue cells in lymphocytes of Chernobyl clean-up workers

• Published in: Mutation research Vol. 350; no. 2; p. 315
• Main Author: Lazutka, J R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 09-03-1996
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Alcoholism; Apoptosis; Case-Control Studies; Cell Cycle; Chromosome Aberrations; DNA Replication; Humans; Influenza, Human; Karyotyping; Lymphocytes - cytology; Lymphocytes - pathology; Male; Mitosis; Models, Genetic; Occupational Exposure; Power Plants; Radioactive Hazard Release; Sister Chromatid Exchange; Surveys and Questionnaires; Ukraine; Vitamins; Ukraine
• ISSN: 0027-5107
• DOI: 10.1016/0027-5107(95)00170-0

A cytogenetic analysis was performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes from 183 Chernobyl clean-up workers and 27 control individuals. Increased frequencies of chromosome aberrations were associated with exposure to radiation at Chernobyl, alcohol abuse and a history of recent influenza infection. However, only approximately 20% of Chernobyl clean-up workers had an increased frequency of dicentric and ring chromosomes. At the same time, an increased frequency of acentric fragments in lymphocytes of clean-up workers was characteristic. The use of multivitamins as dietary supplement significantly decreased the frequency of chromosome aberrations, especially of chromatid breaks. Rogue cells were found in lymphocytes of 28 clean-up workers and 3 control individuals. The appearance of rogue cells was associated with a recent history of acute respiratory disease (presumably caused by adenoviral infection) and, probably, alcohol abuse. Dicentric chromosomes in rogue cells were distributed according to a negative binomial distribution. Occurrence of rogue cells due to a perturbation of cell cycle control and abnormal apoptosis is suggested.