Chromosome aberrations in cultured peripheral lymphocytes from persons with elevated skin radiosensitivity.

The purpose of this study was to elucidate whether an enhanced skin radiation reaction correlated with an enhanced chromosome radiation response. Twelve patients with late radiation skin ulcers formed after courses of radiation therapy were chosen as a group of individuals with elevated skin radiosensitivity. Half of the venous blood samples from each donor were irradiated with 2 Gy gamma-rays; the other half remained unexposed. Using standard cytogenetic technique, lymphocyte cultures were prepared with all samples. On the metaphase preparations, all chromosome aberrations detectable without karyotype identification were scored. The frequency of various aberrations in each patient were compared with relevant mean values in healthy unexposed donors. In several patients, the frequency of one aberration type or another exceeded the control value significantly. Comparison of aberration patterns in irradiated and nonirradiated cultures and consideration of elapsed time after therapeutic exposures suggested that the observed increased aberration levels reflected individual features of the patients' radiosensitivity, rather than lesions induced by previous in vivo exposures. Therefore, the question of a correlation between skin and chromosome radiosensitivity can be answered positively. Analysis of the peculiarities of cellular distribution of aberrations and of the relative contribution of different aberration types in patients and healthy donors indicates that the investigation of in vitro-induced aberrations is more suitable for the assessment of individual radiosensitivity than the study of aberrations observed in unexposed cultures.