Analysis of spontaneous and bleomycin-induced chromosome damage in peripheral lymphocytes of long-haul aircrew members from Argentina

BOLZÁN, A,D,; BIANCHI, M.S.; GIMÉNEZ, E.M.; DIAZ FLAQUÉ, M.C.; CIANCIO, V.R.

MUTATION RESEARCH-FUNDAMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF MUTAGENESIS

Elsevier, B.V.

Lugar: Amsterdam, Holanda; Año: 2008 vol. 639 p. 64 - 79

0027-5107

Spontaneous and bleomycin (BLM)-induced chromosomal aberrations in G0 and G2 stages of the cell cycle have been analyzed in peripheral lymphocytes of 21 long-haul aircrew members from Argentina in order to assess BLM-induced clastogenesis as a first approach to determine the DNA repair capacity and thereby the susceptibility to environmental cancers in aircrew. The possibility that occupational exposure of flight personnel to cosmic radiation can induce an adaptive response in their peripheral lymphocytes that can be detected by a subsequent in vitro treatment with BLM was also investigated. For comparison, aberrations were also scored in the lymphocytes of 15 healthy volunteers matched by age, health, sex, drinking and smoking habits to the flight personnel group. Aircrew exhibited a higher frequency of spontaneous dicentrics and ring chromosomes than the control population (p0.05). However, the aircrew sampled population was almost two times more sensitive to BLM G0 clastogenic effects than controls (p