Cytogenetic analysis on the yields of chromosomal aberrations induced by the scattered doses of gamma-radiation

Abstract

The present study is undertaken to know the radiation dose-response of chromosomes in the non-target cells, viz. peripheral blood lymphocytes of cancer patients in a context of partial body irradiation. The genotoxic effect of gamma-radiation was studied in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) patients exposed to various cumulative doses of 60Co gamma rays during radiotherapy (RT). These patients (P1 to P10) were irradiated for a period of six weeks with a daily fraction of 2 Gy, consecutively for 5 days in every week. The clastogenic effects of radiation in these patients were analysed on every weekend employing chromosomal aberration (CA) assay. Radiosensitivity of these patients were analysed by employing linear regression analysis of the CAs induced by irradiation. Genetic damage observed in all patients on a weekly basis were recorded and analysed at the individual level in comparison with their own pre-therapy baseline data, employing student's t-test. Dicentrics, centric rings and chromatid breaks were observed as the major kinds of CAs. The total CAs observed were analyzed using two way ANOVA, showed significant (P less than 0.001) intra and inter-individual variations of the genotoxic effects. Further, a dose dependent increase of cytogenetic damage was observed in the non-target cells viz. lymphocytes. Further, cytogenetic studies in peripheral lymphocytes following gamma radiotherapy of tumors may help to understand the optimum/precise dose of radiation to be employed for RT, may also be useful to predict dosimetry and the possible secondary tumors in irradiated HNSCC patients.