Study the Effect of Ionizing Radiation on a Sample of Workers Using Three Genetic End-Points

Abstract

The present study aims to use the molecular biological techniques in a genotoxicity investigation of low radiation doses in samples of workers in Al-Tuwaitha site, this study including 30 male  blood samples, aged (32 - 59 year), as well as 20 male  blood samples, aged (30 -57 year)   which are non- smokers and non-alcoholics  as control group . Three genetic parameter were studied by using hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) mutation assay, micronuclei in cytoplasm of reticulocytes cells and comet assay .The statistical analysis showed that there was significant difference (p <0.01) the HPRT gene mutation assay between the radiation workers and controls group. The present study showed significant increasde (p<0.01) in micronuclei of reticulocytes cells for the radiation worker as compared with the control group. Also there were found a significant increase (p<0.01) in comet tail length and tail moment values in the human lymphocyte in these radiation worker of this study as compared with the control group. In conclusion, the obtained results confirmed the usefulness of the mutation frequency for HPRT assay, micronuclei in cytoplasm of reticulocytes and alkaline comet assay and as a sensitive additional biomarker in the regular health screening of workers occupationally exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation.