Differences in cytogenetic sensitivity to ionizing radiation in newborns and adults.

Radiation exposure causes DNA breaks leading to structural chromosome aberrations that can be carcinogenic. Lifetime cancer risks are elevated in irradiated children compared to similarly exposed adults. To determine the extent to which age influences the frequency and types of chromosome damage in response to ionizing radiation, peripheral blood samples were collected from 20 adults (aged 22-78 years) and from the umbilical cords of 10 newborns and acutely exposed to 0 (control), 1, 2, 3 or 4 Gy of cobalt-60 gamma rays. Cells were cultured in the presence of the mitogen phytohemagglutinin, harvested at 48 h and then evaluated for structural chromosome aberrations by fluorescence in situ hybridization whole chromosome painting. Regression analyses were used to evaluate radiation-induced translocated chromosomes, dicentrics, acentric fragments, color junctions and aberrant cells to determine whether the frequencies of these events was dependent upon age. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from newborns showed statistically significant increases in the induced frequencies of translocated chromosomes, dicentrics, acentric fragments, color junctions and abnormal cells at several radiation doses when compared to blood from adults. No significant changes in sensitivity with age were observed when adults were evaluated separately. We conclude that peripheral lymphocytes from newborns are significantly more prone to radiation-induced chromosome aberrations than peripheral lymphocytes from adults. The increased sensitivity of newborns in this study relative to adults was found to be 37(±9)%, 18(±4)%, 12(±2)% and 4(±5)% at doses of 1, 2, 3 and 4 Gy, respectively. These data may be relevant when making radiation exposure risk assessments.