Alkaline Comet Assay as a Predictor of DNA Damage in Medical Radiation Workers

Abstract

The study was aimed to examine the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage level between medical and non-medical radiation workers using the comet assay method. The radiation-exposed group (29 subjects) and the control group (29 subjects) were chosen from the administration staff. The assessment of single-strand DNA damage hosted by peripheral blood lymphocyte was performed using the alkaline comet assay, the tail length and long-tailed DNA were measured to detect the DNA damage. An independent sample t-test was used to assess the statistical difference between groups. The results showed that comet tail length mean measured in the exposed worker’s group was 25.57±4.4 μm whereas the mean percentage of long-tailed DNA was 6.97±1.53. In the control group, the mean tail length was 23.15±7.57 μm and the long-tailed nucleus percentage was 5.65±1.99. Mean values for the tail length measured were no significantly higher in the exposed group compared to the control group (P=0.15), whereas the percentage of long-tailed nuclei was significantly higher in the exposed group compared to the control group (P=0.007) . The observed single-strand DNA can be measured by using the alkaline comet assay. The DNA damage can be influenced by radiation exposure in medical radiation workers.

IL-6 and IL-10 Levels in Rats Blood Plasma as Immune Responses Post Radioiodine (I-131) Administration

“…The increase in red blood cell and monocyte counts was significantly higher in-hospital radiation workers compared with controls, whereas white blood cell, hematocrit, mean blood cell volume and lymphocyte values showed significant decreases. The DNA damage also can be influenced by radiation exposure in medical radiation workers [ 35 , 36 ].…”