Chromosome aberration analysis in peripheral lymphocytes of Gulf War and Balkans War veterans.
Chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were determined in standard peripheral lymphocyte metaphase preparations of 13 British Gulf War veterans, two veterans of the recent war in the Balkans and one veteran of both wars. All 16 volunteers suspect exposures to depleted uranium (DU) while deployed at the two different theatres of war in 1990 and later on. The Bremen laboratory control served as a reference in this study. Compared with this control there was a statistically significant increase in the frequency of dicentric chromosomes (dic) and centric ring chromosomes (cR) in the veterans' group. indicating a previous exposure to ionising radiation. The statistically significant overdispersion of die and cR indicates non-uniform irradiation as would be expected after non-uniform exposure and/or exposure to radiation with a high linear energy transfer (LET). The frequency of SCEs was decreased when compared with the laboratory control.
Schröder
H
H
Center of Environmental Research and Technology (UFT), University of Bremen, Leobener Strasse, 28359 Bremen, Germany. heisch@uni-bremen.de
Heimers
A
A
Frentzel-Beyme
R
R
Schott
A
A
Hoffmann
W
W
D000328:Adult; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000528:radiation effects*; D017523:Croatia; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007493:Iraq; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000097:blood / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012016:Reference Values; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006113:United Kingdom; D014501:Uranium / Q000506:poisoning*; D014728:Veterans; D014857:Warfare
D014501:Uranium