title: The effect of low-dose exposure on germline microsatellite mutation rates in humans accidentally exposed to caesium-137 in Goiânia.
abstract: A serious radiological accident occurred in 1987 in Goiânia, Brazil, which lead to extensive human and environmental contamination as a result of ionising radiation (IR) from caesium-137. Among the exposed were those in direct contact with caesium-137, their relatives, neighbours, liquidators and health personnel involved in the handling of the radioactive material and the clean-up of the radioactive sites. The exposed group consisted of 10 two-generation families, totalling 34 people. For each exposed family, at least one of the progenitors was directly exposed to very low doses of γ-IR. The control group consisted of 215 non-irradiated families, composed of a father, mother and child, all of them from Goiânia, Brazil. Genomic DNA was purified using 100 μl of whole blood. The amplification reactions were prepared according to PowerPlex® 16, following the manufacturer's instructions. Genetic profiles were obtained from a single polymerase chain reaction amplification. The exposed group had only one germline mutation of a paternal origin in the 'locus' D8S1179 and the observed mutation presented a gain of only one repeat unit. In the control group, 11 mutations were observed and the mutational events were distributed in five loci D16S539, D3S1358, FGA, Penta E and D21S11. The mutation rates for the exposed and control groups were 0.006 and 0.002, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference (P = 0.09) between the mutation rate of the exposed and control groups. In conclusion, the quantification of mutational events in short tandem repeats can provide a useful system for detecting induced mutations in a relatively small population.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu, Mestrado em Genética, Universidade Católica de Goiás, Setor Universitário, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
authors.forename: Emília Oliveira Alves
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de Melo e Silva
authors.forename: Aldaires Vieira
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: de Melo
authors.forename: Fernanda Ribeiro
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Godoy
authors.forename: Hugo Freire
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: Eduardo Rocha
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Pedrosa
authors.forename: Braúlio Cançado
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: Ricardo Goulart
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Rodovalho
authors.forename: Cláudio Carlos
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Aparecido Divino
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: da Cruz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D056426:Genetic Loci; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D059645:Mutation Rate; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes