Chernobyl: Cleanup workers (Russia), Snigiryova et al. 1997

Scenario 
      Blood samples were taken from 52 Chernobyl cleanup workers (Russian Federation), and chromosome aberrations were examined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technology using whole-chromosome painting probes together with pancentromeric probes. Chromosomes were also studied by conventional Giemsa staining method. Blood sampling was made during November 1992 and July 1995 (6-9 years after the accident).

       In 1986, the official exposure limit was 250 mSv of external gamma-rays for 1 year. But this limit was reduced to 100 mSv in 1987, and further to 50 mSv in 1988. However, the dose monitoring was incomplete and often insufficient. Detailed types of work and working time are presented for each worker.

      Twelve healthy men from Moscow aged 39-62 years without radiation history were used as controls for FISH analysis and 82 men aged 25-55 years as controls for the conventional chromosome analysis.

      The authors concluded that there was no correlation of individual translocation frequencies measured by FISH-painting and documented dose. Also, dicentric frequencies were not significantly elevated in the workers either while some individuals showed higher frequencies as compared to that of controls.

Reference 

     Snigiryova, G., Braselmann, H., Salassidis, K., Shevchenko, V. and Bauchinger, M. (1997): Retrospective biodosimetry of Chernobyl clean-up workers using chromosome painting and conventional chromosome analysis. Int. J. Radiat. Biol., 71:119-127. 

Chromosome aberration analysis 
Subject Age at blood Doccumented FISH painting** Cinventional Giemsa
ID sampling dose* No. of FG No. of Dics
(year) (Sv) cells ST/100 cells Dics/100 cells cells (per 100 cells
1 33 0.26 396 0 0 300 0
2 48 0.25 673 0.5 0 300 0
3 30 0.06 1,279 0.5 0 300 0.35
4 37 0.21 849 0.4 0 300 0.33
6 39 0.26 970 0.3 0 300 0
7 31 0.21 415 0 0 300 0
8 28 0.18 525 0 0 300 0
9 43 0.24 1,700 0.4 0.18 300 0.33
10 43 0.16 425 1.5 0 300 0
11 63 0.27 618 0 0 300 0
12 35 0.24 393 1.6 0 300 0
13 39 0.2 928 1 0 300 0
14 37 0.14 1,600 0.8 0 300 0
15 31 0.44 595 0.5 0 300 0
16 47 0.11 790 0.4 0 300 0.33
17 30 0.14 1,297 1.9 0 300 0
18 34 0.25 408 1.5 0 300 0.33
19 58 0.02 570 1.7 0 300 0.33
20 49 0.17 1,314 2.4 0 300 0
21 31 0.17 578 1.1 0.54 300 0
22 33 0.15 958 1 0 300 0
23 43 0.29 857 2.2 0 300 0
24 62 0.14 1,056 0.6 0 300 0
25 35 0.11 1,161 2.4 0.27 300 0.67
26 56 0.24 460 1.4 0 300 0.33
27 72 0.8 1,688 2 0.19 300 0
28 56 0.25 395 2.4 0.8 300 0
29 36 0.01 600 0.5 0 300 0
30 49 0.5 797 1.6 0.79 300 0
31 45 1.36 473 7.3 1.33 300 1
32 37 0.61 930 0.3 0 300 0.33
33 57 0.6 1,157 1.6 0 300 0
34 47 0.26 1,097 1.4 0 300 0
35 55 0.28 527 0.6 0 300 0
36 64 0.11 1,135 0.6 0 300 0
37 36 9999 468 0.7 0 300 0.33
38 46 9999 703 0.9 0.45 300 0.33
39 28 9999 1,304 0.2 0.24 300 0
40 35 9999 506 0.6 0 300 0
41 48 9999 756 1.2 0 300 0.67
42 32 9999 967 0 0 300 0
43 46 9999 1,407 0 0 300 0
44 53 9999 678 0.9 0 300 0
45 37 9999 410 2.3 0 300 0
46 65 9999 1,459 1.5 0.22 300 0.33
47 59 9999 859 1.8 0 300 0
48 34 9999 720 0.9 0 300 0.33
49 29 9999 1,196 0 0 300 0
50 38 9999 428 0.7 0 300 0
51 52 9999 583 3.2 1.08 300 0
52 72 9999 1,209 1.8 0.26 300 0
53 54 9999 1,016 4.6 0 300 0.8
*) Dose=9999 means that the documented dose is unknown.
**) FG: Genome equivalent translocations. ST: Symmetrical translocations. Dic: Dicentrics