engleski

Genetic toxicology in children

State-of-the-art technology is often connected with complex occupational exposure to physical and chemical agents. In addition, environmental exposure, diet, diagnostics and drug intake can modify biological effects of occupational exposure. Under such conditions personal dosimeters and measurements of single target agent are not reliable in estimation of possible health risk. As a consequence biomonitoring, has never been a more important tool for preventive medical procedures and occupational health policy. In R. of Croatia all workers occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation are periodically analysed for chromosome aberration assay according with obligations defined by law for last two decades. According to the latest epidemiological results, the chromosome aberrations are correlated to cancer risk (Bonassi et al, 2004). This study included a group of 1200 subjects exposed to ionizing radiation, ultrasound or chemical agents (VCM, antineoplastic drugs) and control subjects analysed by chromosome aberration assay, micronucleus assay and sister chromated exchange frequency. The results show that despite the fact that all subjects were not accidentally overexposed in occupational settings values of all types of chromosome aberrations differ from control population of R. of Croatia. As monitoring using cytogenetic methods is time consuming and expansive it is necessary to select populations with highest health risk. Our results suggest that regular monitoring should include civilian subjects exposed to group 1 carcinogen chemicals (IARC) , industrial radiographers, medical staff exposed to combined action of ionizing radiation and ultrasound, radioisotopes and selected subgroup of nuclear plant workers. Ecocytogenetics, as a new discipline based on fluorescent in situ hybridization and application of clinical cytogenetic corpus of knowledge could be a step forward in biomonitoring. This model could provide specific medical surveillance to patients with a specific genome damage associated with certain type of cancer, placing the prevention and early diagnostics of possible malignant disease within reach.

child; genotoxicity; environment

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