[Mutation at the T-cell receptor locus in people a long time after acute and prolonged irradiation]

The frequency of lymphocytes with mutations at genes of T-cell receptor (TCR) is determined in 165 persons exposed to ionizing radiation 16-40 years after the influence. Depending on a type of irradiation and time, elapsed from the moment of exposure, all inspected persons were divided into 3 groups: 1) the analysis performed 16-40 years after acute irradiation; 2) the analysis--9-13 years after acute irradiation; 3) the analysis--9-13 years after prolonged irradiation. The persons with elevated frequencies of TCR-mutant cells were detected in all three groups. In the first group they have compounded 36% of persons inspected, in the second--25%, in the third--15%. The percentage of persons with elevated frequencies of mutant cells in all groups was significantly higher than in control groups. Taking into account fast enough elimination of radiation-induced TCR-mutant cells it is possible to suspect, that the cause of elevated frequency of mutant cells in the part of the persons can be genome instability.