title: Genetic effects in children exposed in prenatal period to ionizing radiation after the Chornobyl nuclear power plant accident.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the genetic effects in children exposed to radiation in utero as a result of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant accident accounting the total radiation doses and equivalent radiation doses to the red bone marrow.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incidence of minor developmental anomalies was studied in children exposed to radiation in utero (study group) and in the control group (1144 subjects surveyed in total). Cytogenetic tests using the method of differential G-banding of chromosomes were conducted in 60 children of both study and control groups (10-12-year-olds) and repeatedly in 39 adolescents (15-17-year-olds).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A direct correlation was found between the number of minor developmental anomalies and fetal dose of radiation, and a reverse one with fetal gestational age at the time of radiation exposure. Incidence of chromosomal damage in somatic cells of 10-12-year-old children exposed prenatally was associated with radiation dose to the red bone marrow. The repeated testing has revealed that an increased level of chromosomal aberrations was preserved in a third of adolescents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The persons exposed to ionizing radiation at prenatal period should be attributed to the group of carcinogenic risk due to persisting increased levels of chromosome damage. This article is a part of a Special Issue entitled "The Chornobyl Nuclear Accident: Thirty Years After".
authors.affiliation: State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv 04050, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Ye I
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Stepanova
authors.affiliation: State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv 04050, Ukraine.
authors.forename: V Yu
authors.initials: VY
authors.lastname: Vdovenko
authors.affiliation: State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv 04050, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Zh A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Misharina
authors.affiliation: State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv 04050, Ukraine.
authors.forename: V I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Kolos
authors.affiliation: State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv 04050, Ukraine.
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Mischenko
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D047852:Chernobyl Nuclear Accident; D002648:Child; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000528:radiation effects; D020732:Cytogenetic Analysis; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D012307:Risk Factors