CYTOGENETIC EVALUATION OF LONG-TERM IRRADIATION EFFECT ON WORKERS EARLY ENGAGED IN X-RAY MEDICINE IN CHINA BY FLUORESCENCE IN SITU HYBRIDIZATION

Purpose: To evaluate the cytogenetic effect of irradiation on the workers, early engaged in X-ray medicine in China, who had been exposed to X-ray at low dose rate for a long time (22-44 years). Method: The peripheral lymphocyte chromosome aberrations from 25 medical X-ray workers and 10 controls were analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with probes of chromosomes 4 and 7 and verified with Giemsa stai-{ning.} Results: The normal target chromosomes and their aberration were directly exhibited in morphology. The chromosomes translocations of X-ray workers were 84 % of all chromosome aberrations in this group. Ins (insertion), Dic (dicentric) and Ace (acentric fragment) were 1.9 %, 4.5 % and 9.7 %, respectively. The frequencies of chromosome translocation and total aberrations in X-ray workers were higher than that of the control group (P0.005). Conclusion: The peripheral lymphocyte of medical X-ray workers exists chromosomes aberrations, the most part of which are translocations.