title: Germline minisatellite mutations in survivors of childhood and young adult cancer treated with radiation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate minisatellite germline mutation rates in survivors of childhood and young adult cancer who received radiotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  DNA samples from 100 families, where one parent was a cancer survivor, were analysed for mutations at eight hypervariable minisatellite loci (B6.7, CEB1, CEB15, CEB25, CEB36, MS1, MS31, MS32) by Southern hybridisation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference was observed between the paternal mutation rate of 5.6% in exposed fathers with a mean preconceptional testicular dose of 1.23 Gy (56 mutations in 998 informative alleles) and that of 5.8% in unexposed fathers (17 in 295 informative alleles). Subgrouping the exposed fathers into dose groups of < 0.10 Gy, 0.10-0.99 Gy, 1.00-1.99 Gy, ≥ 2.00 Gy revealed no significant differences in paternal mutation rate in comparison with the unexposed fathers. Maternal mutation rates of 1.6% in cancer survivor mothers with a mean preconceptional ovarian dose of 0.58 Gy (five mutations in 304 informative alleles) and 2.1% in unexposed mothers (21 in 987 informative alleles) were not significantly different. There were no differences in minisatellite mutation rates associated with treatment with chemotherapeutic agents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides evidence that preconception radiotherapy for childhood or early adulthood cancer does not increase the germline minisatellite mutation rate.
authors.affiliation: University of Central Lancashire, Westlakes Science and Technology Park, Moor Row, Cumbria CA243JY, UK. Jan@Tawn.co.uk
authors.forename: E Janet
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Tawn
authors.forename: Gwen S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leith
authors.forename: Jeanette F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Winther
authors.forename: Gillian B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Curwen
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stovall
authors.forename: Jørgen H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rechnitzer
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guldberg
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Boice
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011832:Radiation Injuries; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017741:Survivors