title: Glycophorin A somatic cell mutation frequencies in residents of Tibet at high altitudes.
abstract: Since cosmic radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere surrounding the Earth, people who live at high altitude receive significantly larger amounts of cosmic radiation exposure than do those who live at low altitude. The glycophorin A-based somatic mutation assay was performed on 36 blood samples from two populations of Tibet inhabitants to determine whether residents at high altitude (4,300 m) accumulate more somatic mutations than do those who live at low altitude (1,500-1,900 m). These two populations differ in estimated cumulative lifetime cosmic radiation dose, with high altitude residents having received a mean of 111 mSv while low altitude residents received a mean of 27 mSv. Results showed no significant difference in peripheral blood variant erythrocyte frequency between these two populations and no difference from results of a previous study on Finnish workers who live at very low altitude (<500 m).
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0808, USA.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boice
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D003359:Cosmic Radiation; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006021:Glycophorins / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011859:Radiography; D018609:Tibet
chemical_list: D006021:Glycophorins