title: Investigation of the influence of calibration practices on cytogenetic laboratory performance for dose estimation.
abstract: In the frame of the QA program of RENEB, an inter-laboratory comparison (ILC) of calibration sources used in biological dosimetry was achieved to investigate the influence of calibration practices and protocols on the results of the dose estimation performance as a first step to harmonization and standardization of dosimetry and irradiation practices in the European biological dosimetry network.
  
  
  
  Delivered doses by irradiation facilities used by RENEB partners were determined with EPR/alanine dosimetry system. Dosimeters were irradiated in the same conditions as blood samples. A short survey was also performed to collect the information needed for the data analysis and evaluate the diversity of practices.
  
  
  
  For most of partners the deviation of delivered dose from the targeted dose remains below 10%. Deviations larger than 10% were observed for five facilities out of 21. Origins of the largest discrepancies were identified. Correction actions were evaluated as satisfactory. The re-evaluation of some ILC results for the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and premature chromosome condensation (PCC) assays has been performed leading to an improvement of the overall performances.
  
  
  
  This work has shown the importance of dosimetry in radiobiology studies and the needs of harmonization, standardization in irradiation and dosimetry practices and educational training for biologists using ionizing radiation.
authors.affiliation: a Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) , Fontenay-aux-roses, France.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trompier
authors.affiliation: a Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) , Fontenay-aux-roses, France.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.affiliation: b Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona , Bellaterra , Spain.
authors.forename: Lleonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barrios
authors.affiliation: a Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) , Fontenay-aux-roses, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gregoire
authors.affiliation: c Bundeswehr Institut für Radiologie in verbindung mit der Universtität Ulm , Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abend
authors.affiliation: d Public Health England Centre for Radiation , Chemical and Environmental Hazards (PHE) , Chilton , UK.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ainsbury
authors.affiliation: d Public Health England Centre for Radiation , Chemical and Environmental Hazards (PHE) , Chilton , UK.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barnard
authors.affiliation: c Bundeswehr Institut für Radiologie in verbindung mit der Universtität Ulm , Germany.
authors.forename: Joan Francesc
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Barquinero
authors.affiliation: e Hospital Universitario y Politécnico la Fe de Valencia , Valencia , Spain.
authors.forename: Juan Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bautista
authors.affiliation: f Stockholm University , Department of Molecular Biosciences , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brzozowska
authors.affiliation: e Hospital Universitario y Politécnico la Fe de Valencia , Valencia , Spain.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perez-Calatayud
authors.affiliation: g Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Angelis
authors.affiliation: h University of Sevilla , Sevilla , Spain.
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.affiliation: i National Center for Radiobiology and Radiation Protection , Sofia , Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hadjidekova
authors.affiliation: j Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz , Department Radiation Protection and Health , Neuherberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kulka
authors.affiliation: h University of Sevilla , Sevilla , Spain.
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mateos
authors.affiliation: k University of Tuscia , Viterbo , Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meschini
authors.affiliation: l Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares , Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa , Bobadela-LRS , Portugal.
authors.forename: Octávia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Monteiro Gil
authors.affiliation: d Public Health England Centre for Radiation , Chemical and Environmental Hazards (PHE) , Chilton , UK.
authors.forename: Jayne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moquet
authors.affiliation: j Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz , Department Radiation Protection and Health , Neuherberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Oestreicher
authors.affiliation: e Hospital Universitario y Politécnico la Fe de Valencia , Valencia , Spain.
authors.forename: Alegria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montoro Pastor
authors.affiliation: m Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK-CEN) , Mol , Belgium.
authors.forename: Roel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quintens
authors.affiliation: e Hospital Universitario y Politécnico la Fe de Valencia , Valencia , Spain.
authors.forename: Natividad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sebastià
authors.affiliation: n Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology , Warsaw , Poland.
authors.forename: Sylwester
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.affiliation: k University of Tuscia , Viterbo , Italy.
authors.forename: Orlin
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Stoyanov
authors.affiliation: o Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Ghent University , Gent , Belgium.
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thierens
authors.affiliation: p National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos" , Health Physics, Radiobiology & Cytogenetics , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Terzoudi
authors.affiliation: e Hospital Universitario y Politécnico la Fe de Valencia , Valencia , Spain.
authors.forename: Juan Ignacio
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Villaescusa
authors.affiliation: o Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Ghent University , Gent , Belgium.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vral
authors.affiliation: f Stockholm University , Department of Molecular Biosciences , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wojcik
authors.affiliation: q Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro , INFN , Italy.
authors.forename: Demetre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zafiropoulos
authors.affiliation: a Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) , Fontenay-aux-roses, France.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roy
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration / Q000592:standards*; D020732:Cytogenetic Analysis / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Alanine dosimetry; biological dosimetry; calibration; inter-laboratory comparison; quality assurance