The linear relationship between chromosome induced-translocation and radiosensitivity of human tumor cells

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to investigate the relationship between induced-translocation of chromosome after radiation and radiosensitivity of tumor cells and to see whether the result can be used to predict the radiosensitivity of human tumor cell lines, and thereby to provide a potential means of assessing cell radiosensitivity. Three human cell lines with different radiosensitivity, i.e. a nasopharyngeal cell line (CNE), a lung adenocarcinoma cell line (SPC-A1) and a breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7), were used and assessed for clonogenic cell survival after radiation with 1,2,4,6 and 8 Gy and for radiation-induced aberrations in two chromosomes (number 2 and 8) 24 h after irradiation with 2,4 and 6 Gy. The number of radiation-induced aberration in chromosome 2 and chromosome 8 remaining 24 h after irradiation could reflect the radiosensitivity of the cells, and there was a good relationship between induced aberrations in chromosome 2 and chromosome 8 and cell survival for all the three cell lines with the related coefficients 0.97 and 0.98 respectively. Thus, the induced-aberration, observed by means of the method of FISH, can be used to predict the radiosensitivity of tumor cells