title: Analysis of micronuclei in the transferrin-receptor positive reticulocytes from peripheral blood of nasopharyngeal cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy by a single-laser flow cytometer.
abstract: The automated micronucleus test is now accepted as a simple, objective, and accurate method for evaluating potential mutagenic effects caused by physical, chemical or biotic factors. This paper describes a single-laser flow cytometry, based on an immunomagnetic isolation technique in combination with acridine orange staining, to detect frequencies of micronucleated transferrin-receptor positive reticulocytes from human peripheral blood. Using this flow cytometric system, we detected the frequencies of micronucleated transferrin-receptor positive reticulocytes from 10 nasopharyngeal cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy and the baseline of the frequencies of micronucleated transferrin-receptor positive reticulocytes from 7 healthy donors. The results showed that the mean frequency of micronucleated transferrin-receptor positive reticulocytes from healthy donors was 0.236% and that from nasopharyngeal cancer patients before radiotherapy was 0.297%. After radiotherapy it was significantly elevated. When the cumulative dose of radiotherapy was about 20Gy, it reached a maximum of 6.905%, and then, as the cumulative dose of radiotherapy continued to increase to 30Gy, 40Gy and 50Gy, the frequency decreased to 6.258%, 5.119% and 5.007% respectively. Our results indicated that the single-laser flow cytometric system was quick, reasonable and acceptable for detecting the frequency of micronucleated transferrin-receptor positive reticulocytes from human peripheral blood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, Peoples Republic of China.
authors.forename: Li Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: De Zhi
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhi Mou
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lu Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jin Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D018189:Immunomagnetic Separation / Q000379:methods; D047569:Laser Scanning Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D015162:Micronucleus Tests / Q000379:methods*; D009302:Nasopharyngeal Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000097:blood*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012156:Reticulocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011990:Receptors, Transferrin