title: Micronucleus induction by 60Co gamma-rays and fast neutrons in ataxia telangiectasia lymphocytes.
abstract: Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by a progressive neuronal degeneration, immunodeficiency, cancer proneness and an extreme sensitivity to ionizing radiation. In this work, micronucleus dose-response curves for lymphocytes of normal and AT individuals, exposed in G(zero) to low LET gamma-rays and high LET fast neutrons, are compared. After gamma-irradiation, the micronucleus yields for AT lymphocytes are strongly increased compared with controls. The micronucleus dose-response curve for AT cells shows a linear dependence instead of a linear-quadratic one which is found for normal cells. After neutron irradiation, the increase in micronucleus yield above controls is less pronounced than with gamma-rays and the micronucleus dose-response curves are linear, as expected. The high increase in micronucleus yield compared with controls after gamma-irradiation further suggests the application of the micronucleus assay as a diagnostic tool for ataxia telangiectasia.
authors.affiliation: Department for Anatomy, Embryology and Histology, University of Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vral
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thierens
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Ridder
mesh_terms: D001260:Ataxia Telangiectasia / Q000235:genetics*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005214:Fast Neutrons; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D018499:Linear Energy Transfer; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D048629:Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective / Q000528:radiation effects*; D015162:Micronucleus Tests
chemical_list: D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes