The Influence of Computed Tomography Contrast Agent on Radiation-Induced Gene Expression and Double-Strand Breaks

After nuclear scenarios, combined injuries of acute radiation syndrome (ARS) with, e.g., abdominal trauma, will occur and may require contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans for diagnostic purposes. Here, we investigated the effect of iodinated contrast agents on radiation-induced gene expression (GE) changes used for biodosimetry (AEN, BAX, CDKN1A, EDA2R, APOBEC3H) and for hematologic ARS severity prediction (FDXR, DDB2, WNT3, POU2AF1), and on the induction of double-strand breaks (DSBs) used for biodosimetry. Whole blood samples from 10 healthy donors (5 males, 5 females, mean age: 28 ± 2 years) were irradiated with X rays (0, 1 and 4 Gy) with and without the addition of iodinated contrast agent (0.016 ml contrast agent/ml blood) to the blood prior to the exposure. The amount of contrast agent was set to be equivalent to the blood concentration of an average patient (80 kg) during a contrast-enhanced CT scan. After irradiation, blood samples were incubated at 37°C for 20 min (DSB) and 8 h (GE, DSB). GE was measured employing quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. DSB foci were revealed by γH2AX + 53BP1 immunostaining and quantified automatically in >927 cells/sample. Radiation-induced differential gene expression (DGE) and DSB foci were calculated using the respective unexposed sample without supplementation of contrast agent as the reference. Neither the GE nor the number of DSB foci was significantly (P = 0.07-0.94) altered by the contrast agent application. However, for some GE and DSB comparisons with/without contrast agent, there were weakly significant differences (P = 0.03-0.04) without an inherent logic and thus are likely due to inter-individual variation. In nuclear events, the diagnostics of combined injuries can require the use of an iodinated contrast agent, which, according to our results, does not alter or influence radiation-induced GE changes and the quantity of DSB foci. Therefore, the gene expression and γH2AX focus assay can still be applied for biodosimetry and/or hematologic ARS severity prediction in such scenarios.