Cytogenetic techniques for dose evaluation after an accident when accurate, fast and reliable response is needed

by Demetre Zafiropoulos (LNL)

Monday 6 Oct 2014, 14:30 → 15:30 Europe/Rome

Rostagni meeting room (INFN-LNL)

The SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species) project at the LNL aims to produce radioactive ion beams using a proton beam on a uranium carbide target. In case of an accident, where workers are involved, the dose can reach tens of cGy. In the absence of physical dosimeters or in the case we need to confirm such exposures, biological methods are necessary to be adopted.

Biological dosimetry based on the analysis of dicentrics and rings in human peripheral blood lymphocytes after the Giemsa staining of a metaphase is a well-established method. During the presentation is shown that applying the fluorescence /in situ/ hybridization (FISH) technique, using telomeric/centromeric peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes, in metaphase chromosomes for radiation dosimetry could become a fast and accurate method for biological dosimetry in radiation emergency exposures. Both the methods described above need at least three days to get results, a time considered too long to support adequately the triage and treatment of the radiation exposed individuals.

Using premature chromosome condensation (PCC), irradiated human peripheral blood lymphocytes were fused with mitotic CHO cells and the yield of dicentrics and rings seen under PCC conditions, using FISH and PNA probes for centromere and telomere detection, were determined by image analysis in less than 24 hours.