[en] Chromosomal instability (Cl), and radiation induced Cl in particular, as well as in a wider sense, genomic instability, has been of great interest lately, as it provides an explanation for the occurrence of multiple mutations during transformation of a normal cell to a malignant tumor cell. To explore this phenomenon, we developed an in vitro system to study the long term, cytogenetic effects of ionizing radiation in human T-lymphocytes. Irradiated or non-irradiated T-cells were grown for up to two months as monoclonal or bulk cell cultures in medium enriched with T-cell growth factors. Analysis of G-banded karyotypes at different time intervals demonstrated clonal aberrations in 65% of the clones derived from irradiated cells, and in only 5% of the clones from non-irradiated cells. Delayed occurrence of de novo aberrations, and a progressive development of subclones with karyotypic abnormalities of increasing complexity, was observed many cell generations after the radiation exposure. Moreover, cells exposed to γ-radiation at a low dose rate (LDR, 0.024 Gy h^-1) for 5 days in G₀-phase, e.g. a dose that gives the cells time to repair between subsequent hits, also demonstrated CI. Following a radiological accident in Estonia 1994, we studied the possible induction of CI in vivo. Both long term bulk cultures and single cell clones were established from one high and three low exposed persons, as well as control individuals from Estonia. Compared to our historical Swedish controls, we found CI to occur in both bulk cultures and clones, and the aberrations were more complex in the exposed individuals than in the controls, indicating that the aberrations were caused by the irradiation. However, due to the high frequency of CI in the Estonian controls, no conclusion with regard to chromosomal instability in vivo could be drawn from the study. In order to trace factors that induce and maintain the chromosomal instability, and clarify which steps are affected in the relevant stress response pathway(s), we have initiated studies of global gene expression using oligonucleotide arrays (Affymetrix). The results of microarray hybridization analysis showed that the complexity and the number of genes exhibiting a change of expression, increased with time of culturing. There were more genes with increased or decreased expression in the comparison between the time points of culture, than between irradiated or non-irradiated cultures at the same time point. These results provide a basis for further evaluation of the biological significance of changes in gene expression in CI. (author)