Dose-effect relationship for 14.5 MeV (d + T) neutron-induced chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes irradiated in a man phantom.

Human lymphocytes were irradiated with 14.5 MeV (d + T) neutrons at the positions sternal, retrosternal, liver and gonads of a waterfilled Plexiglas man phantom of 37 degrees C. After BUdR treatment of lymphocyte cultures and FPG-staining of metaphases, exclusively first post-irradiation divisions (M1-cells) were analysed. A regression analysis was carried out by means of a weighted least-squares method. Dose-effect relations of dicentrics and acentrics could be fitted by the linear-quadratic model. A comparison of the dose-effect curves established with either conventional or FPG-staining technique revealed statistically significant differences. The M1-evaluation yielded about 46 per cent more dicentrics and about 37 per cent more acentrics. The consequences of these results are discussed in relation to the application of chromosome analysis in 'biological dosimetry'.