title: Persistence of genetic damage in lymphocytes from former uranium miners.
abstract: Lymphocytes from former uranium miners who finished work underground one or more decades ago were analysed with respect to possibly persisting genetic damage induced by their radiation exposure. A modified micronucleus-centromere test was used which determined the frequency of micronucleus-containing binucleate cells after cytochalasin B treatment and the percentage of centromere-free micronuclei, assessed with the help of immunofluorescence labeling of centromere protein B. Whereas the overall frequency of micronucleus-containing cells was not significantly elevated above the level found in a control group, former miners showed a greater percentage of centromere-free micronuclei, i.e. micronuclei containing only acentric fragments. Our results are in excellent agreement with those of an earlier uranium miner study and lend support to the assumption that genetic damage from alpha radiation can persist for many years after exposure, possibly due to genomic instability. The frequency of micronucleus-containing cells, but not the percentage of centromere-free micronuclei, significantly increased with time since last exposure in the mines. This can be attributed, at least in part, to the fact that miners who have finished working underground longer ago tend to be older, and there is an increase of the frequency of micronucleus-containing cells with age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Toxicology, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. zoelzer@zsf.jcu.cz
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zölzer
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hon
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Freitinger Skalická
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Havránková
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Navrátil
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosina
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skopek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000512:Alpha Particles / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018153:Czech Republic; D042822:Genomic Instability / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D048629:Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective / Q000528:radiation effects; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D008906:Mining; D013997:Time Factors; D014501:Uranium / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014501:Uranium