Follow-up of translocations and dicentrics by chromosome painting (Fish) after accidental exposure to ionizing radiation

Chromosome painting was applied to follow the frequencies of translocations and dicentrics in blood lymphocytes from eight persons involved in a radiation accident in Estonia, 1994. Complete translocation frequencies remained relatively constant during the first year of study, whereas the rate of complete dicentrics declined rapidly in patients exposed to 1 Gy or more. The high proportion of incomplete translocations observed right after the accident declined during the first year after the exposure, approaching the level of incomplete dicentrics. (authors)