title: Radiation Dose Estimation by Automated Cytogenetic Biodosimetry.
abstract: The dose from ionizing radiation exposure can be interpolated from a calibration curve fit to the frequency of dicentric chromosomes (DCs) at multiple doses. As DC counts are manually determined, there is an acute need for accurate, fully automated biodosimetry calibration curve generation and analysis of exposed samples. Software, the Automated Dicentric Chromosome Identifier (ADCI), is presented which detects and discriminates DCs from monocentric chromosomes, computes biodosimetry calibration curves and estimates radiation dose. Images of metaphase cells from samples, exposed at 1.4-3.4 Gy, that had been manually scored by two reference laboratories were reanalyzed with ADCI. This resulted in estimated exposures within 0.4-1.1 Gy of the physical dose. Therefore, ADCI can determine radiation dose with accuracies comparable to standard triage biodosimetry. Calibration curves were generated from metaphase images in ~10 h, and dose estimations required ~0.8 h per 500 image sample. Running multiple instances of ADCI may be an effective response to a mass casualty radiation event.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada progan@uwo.ca.|Cytognomix Inc., 60 North Centre Rd., Box 27052, London, Ontario N5X 3X5, Canada.
authors.forename: Peter K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Rogan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada.
authors.forename: Yanxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, Health Canada, 775 Brookfield Rd., K1A 1C1, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Ruth C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wilkins
authors.affiliation: Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Radiobiology & Health, Plant Road, Chalk River, Ontario, K0J 1J0, Canada.
authors.forename: Farrah N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Flegal
authors.affiliation: Cytognomix Inc., 60 North Centre Rd., Box 27052, London, Ontario N5X 3X5, Canada.|Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada.
authors.forename: Joan H M
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Knoll
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods*; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D012371:Robotics / Q000379:methods*; D012984:Software; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods; D014584:User-Computer Interface