Effect of hormones on the variation of radiosensitivity in females as measured by induction of chromosomal aberrations.

The frequency of dicentrics + ring (dic/cell) and total chromosome aberrations (dicentrics, rings and excess acentrics, etc.) per cell (TAb/cell) has been studied in 50 male and female volunteers after high or low dose rate (HDR, LDR) irradiation of peripheral blood lymphocytes. The mean male aberration frequencies per cell after HDR irradiation were 0.38 dic/cell and 0.61 TAb/cell; following LDR irradiation, the mean aberration frequencies were 0.28 dic/cell and 0.45 TAb/cell. Equivalent female values after HDR irradiation were 0.42 dic/cell and 0.71 TAb/cell; after LDR irradiation, the mean aberration frequencies were 0.30 dic/cell and 0.48 TAb/cell. Analysis of variance showed that there was a highly significant difference between males and females have a greater HDR, but not LDR, irradiation It is concluded from this study that females have a greater variability in their radioresponse, and that this variability is related to progesterone, which has a profound effect upon radiosensitivity, as measured by cytogenetic end points.