title: Towards Establishing Capacity for Biological Dosimetry at Ghana Atomic Energy Commission.
abstract: The aim of this study was not only to obtain basic technical prerequisites for the establishment of capacity of biological dosimetry at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) but also to stimulate interest in biological dosimetry research in Ghana and Sub-Saharan Africa. Peripheral blood from four healthy donors was exposed to different doses (0-6 Gy) of gamma rays from a radiotherapy machine and lymphocytes were subsequently stimulated, cultured, and processed according to standard protocols for 48-50 h. Processed cells were analyzed for the frequencies of dicentric and centric ring chromosomes. Radiation dose delivered to the experimental model was verified using GafChromic® EBT films in parallel experiments. Basic technical prerequisites for the establishment of capacity of biological dosimetry in the GAEC have been realized and expertise in the dicentric chromosome assay consolidated. We successfully obtained preliminary cytogenetic data for a dose-response relationship of the irradiated blood lymphocytes. The data strongly indicate the existence of significant linear (α) and quadratic (β) components and are consistent with those published for the production of chromosome aberrations in comparable absorbed dose ranges.
authors.affiliation: Applied Radiation Biology Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Legon, Ghana.
authors.forename: Daniel Gyingiri
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Achel
authors.affiliation: Applied Radiation Biology Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Legon, Ghana.
authors.forename: Elom
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Achoribo
authors.affiliation: Applied Radiation Biology Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Legon, Ghana.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Agbenyegah
authors.affiliation: Applied Radiation Biology Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Legon, Ghana.
authors.forename: Rudolph M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Adaboro
authors.affiliation: Applied Radiation Biology Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Legon, Ghana.
authors.forename: Shadrack
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Donkor
authors.affiliation: Applied Radiation Biology Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Legon, Ghana.
authors.forename: Nana A K
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Adu-Bobi
authors.affiliation: Applied Radiation Biology Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Legon, Ghana.
authors.forename: Akwasi A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Agyekum
authors.affiliation: Applied Radiation Biology Centre, Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Legon, Ghana.
authors.forename: Felicia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akuamoa
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Samuel N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Tagoe
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Kofi A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kyei
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yarney
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging and Clinical Oncology, Division of Radiobiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serafin
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging and Clinical Oncology, Division of Radiobiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Akudugu
keywords: Biological dosimetry; Ghana Atomic Energy Commission; dicentric chromosome aberration; dose-response curve