Title: Expression of apoptotic genes can distinguish radiation workers from normal population

Authors: Mohammad Taghi Bahreyni-Toossi; Reza Fardid; Abdolrahim Rezaee; Ariane Sadr-nabavi; Houshang Rafatpanah; Mohammad Bolbolian

Addresses: Medical Physics Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. ' Medical Physics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. ' Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. ' Medical Genetic Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. ' Inflammation and Inflammatory Disease Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. ' Department of Statistics, Faculty of Mathematical Sciences, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran

Abstract: Ionising radiation can be produce different forms of DNA damage on living cells. Changes in biomarkers due to exposure to ionising radiation can be an appropriate tool for the immediate recognition of individuals exposed to radiation after a radiological accident or nuclear disaster. QPCR technique, as an approved method, can be used for analysing the expression levels of sensitive genes following radiation exposure. Gene expression studies were performed on a group of 36 radiation workers and 36 matched-normal people without a history of radiation exposure. Mean gene expression values for control and irradiated groups were compared. Mean gene expression values for control and irradiated groups were compared. There were significant differences between the mean gene expressions of Bax and Bcl-2 (p<0.05), in normal and irradiated groups. The logistic regression model is able to correctly identify 77.8% of irradiated samples (specificity) and 75.0% of normal samples (sensitivity).

Keywords: ionising radiation; radiation workers; low dose; biodosimetry; QPCR; Bax; Bcl-2; apoptosis; gene expression; apoptotic genes; low radiation; DNA damage; biomarkers; radiation exposure.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2011.047184

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2011 Vol.8 No.5/6, pp.388 - 399

Received: 18 Jan 2012
Accepted: 01 Apr 2012

Published online: 07 Feb 2015 *

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