Cytogenetic analysis of peripheral lymphocytes in occupationally exposed health personnel

The cytogenetic analysis of peripheral lymphocytes performed in our study is at present the only direct method capable of assessing the exposure of man to genotoxic agents. It is used as a group exposure test for the evaluation of occupational exposure to substances with clastogenic effects. Attention has been centered in our study on the evaluation of the hazards of handling cytostatics for the occupationally exposed health personnel at the Department of Radiotherapy, Faculty Hospital, Olomouc. The results of the cytogenetic analysis of peripheral lymphocytes in the health personnel exposed to chemotherapeutic agents with cytostatic effects at the Department of Radiotherapy proved them to be a group of increased exposure to cytogenetic agents. In the exposed group of the average 2.57% of aberrant cells were found (the frequency up to 2% of aberrant cells is considered spontaneous), in the control student group on the average 1.70% of aberrant cells and in the control group of anaesthesiology personnel on the average of 1.96% of aberrant cells were found. The differences between the exposed group and the control groups were statistically significant (P less than 0.05). Among the various occupational categories of the health personnel, statistically significantly increased average frequency of chromosomal aberrations was found in nurses (2.87% of aberrant cells) and in physicians (2.85% of aberrant cells) compared to the control groups of students and the ARD personnel. When evaluating the length of exposure, increased frequency of aberrant cells was found mostly in nurses exposed to cytostatics for 6 to 10 years and in those exposed for 11 or more years. In the nurses exposed for 6 to 10 years on the average 3.44% of aberrant cells were found, in the nurses exposed for 11 and more years 3.50% of aberrant cells. The differences in the frequency of aberrant cells between the nurses exposed for 6 and more years and the control groups are statistically significant (P less than 0.05). The frequency of 3.00% of aberrant cells seen in the exposed radiotherapy nurses-smokers has been confirmed the fact that smoking increases the frequency of chromosomal aberrations, though in the non-smokers of this group increased frequency of aberrant cells was found as well (2.76%). The differences in the frequency of aberrant cells between the smokers and non-smokers of the group of exposed nurses on one hand and the non-smokers of the two control groups (students and the anaesthesiology personnel) were statistically significant (P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)