Avaliação Citogenética de Técnicos em Radiologia Expostos Ocupacionalmente à Radiação Ionizante

Abstract

The understanding of the biological effects radioinducites in the organism can help the cytogenetic dosimetry in monitoring the health of professionals occupationally exposed to radiation, so radiology technicians must pay attention to all necessary and obligatory measures of protection because they are responsible for the procedures that refer to the diagnoses involving exposure to ionizing radiation. The objective of this research was to perform a cytogenetic analysis of 20 professional radiology technicians exposed occupationally to ionizing radiation through the collection of heparinized peripheral blood and culture of T lymphocytes to verify the frequencies of chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei. All subjects had to have more than 3 years of service time, regardless of age, sex, smoking habits or alcohol. The control group had the same age and sex as the exposed group. Micronucleus analysis occurred faster and more accurately than the analysis of chromosomal aberrations, suggesting that it is used as the first choice in radiological screening. Metaphase analysis and the cytokinesis blockade test allowed the quantification of a high frequency of unstable chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei in subjects with a workday from 6 hours to 12 hours daily. The results of the frequency of unstable chromosomal aberrations in the exposed group were 0.031 ± 0.030 and in the control group 0.002 ± 0.004. In the micronuclei frequencies of the exposed group the obtained result was 0.0035 ± 0.003 and in the control group 0,0004 ± 0.001 confirming the methodology of cytogenetic analysis as quality control in the biodosimetric investigation for the identification and prevention of possible genomic damages. Subsequent studies are needed to find out if factors such as smoking and alcoholism can influence changes in the health of these professionals.