International journal of radiation biology最新文献

{"title":"Ultrasound-based monitoring of early mesenchymal stem cell therapy mitigates severe radiation-induced soft tissue injury in minipigs.","authors":"Han Byul Kim, Sehwan Shim, Ji Young Yoo, Sunhoo Park, Changmin Lee, Seohee Jo, Narae Kim, Yeonghoon Son, Seokjin Lee, Hyosun Jang","doi":"10.1080/09553002.2026.2643770","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09553002.2026.2643770","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Cutaneous radiation syndrome (CRS) arises from high dose-ionizing radiation exposure and remains a major clinical challenge owing to limited effective therapies. This study investigated the time-dependent therapeutic potential of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) for treating radiation-induced soft tissue injury in a Göttingen minipig model.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Six minipigs were locally irradiated with 100 Gy gamma radiation on each thigh. Two animals served as irradiated group (IR group), whereas four received local intradermal hUCB-MSC injections five times, initiated at week 1 (early treatment; Group I) or week 7 (delayed treatment; Group II) post-irradiation. Serial ultrasonographic and color Doppler imaging were used to monitor changes in skin thickness, vascularity, and edema. Gross morphological and histopathological evaluations were conducted to assess wound progression and tissue repair.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All irradiated minipigs developed severe radiation-induced skin burns. Ultrasonography detected skin thickening and vascular abnormalities at early time points, prior to the appearance of gross morphological changes, suggesting that vascular damage precedes visible lesions. Compared with IR group, both MSC-treated groups exhibited reduced ulcer formation, edema, and skin thickness, as confirmed by ultrasound and gross inspection. Early hUCB-MSC administration (Group I) markedly improved wound healing, reduced scab formation, and preserved tissue structure, whereas delayed treatment (Group II) showed limited recovery with persistent necrosis and thick scabbing.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Early administration of hUCB-MSCs combined with noninvasive ultrasonographic diagnosis effectively mitigates radiation-induced skin injury and promotes wound repair. Ultrasound-based monitoring combined with time-dependent MSC therapy may represent a promising strategy for the clinical management of severe CRS.</p>","PeriodicalId":94057,"journal":{"name":"International journal of radiation biology","volume":" ","pages":"1050-1059"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147793206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bystander effects in both hypoxic cancer and normal cells under FLASH irradiation using proton microbeams.","authors":"Narongchai Autsavapromporn, Taisei Mamiya, Cuihua Liu, Aphidet Duangya, Tengku Ahbrizal Tengku Ahmad, Masakazu Oikawa, Teruaki Konishi","doi":"10.1080/09553002.2026.2654422","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09553002.2026.2654422","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Emerging evidence supports that ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) FLASH irradiation spares normal tissues while preserving tumor control. However, the mechanisms of radiation-induced bystander effects (RIBE) in both cancer and normal cells under hypoxic conditions following FLASH proton microbeam irradiation remain poorly understood.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>In this study, confluent A549 lung cancer cells and TIG-1 normal lung fibroblasts were irradiated with a total dose of 10 Gy using a proton microbeam at dose rates of 23 or 920 Gy/s under hypoxic conditions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A sparing effect was observed in both hypoxia-treated bystander cancer and normal cells following FLASH irradiation, suggesting a protective response. Gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) is mediated by the connexin trend of reducing radiation-induced toxicity in hypoxia-treated bystander cancer and normal cells, indicating a protective effect of GJIC suppression. The protective effect of FLASH irradiation was more evident in normal cells compared to cancer cells under hypoxia, potentially due to differences in nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activity, a major regulator of antioxidant defense.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These observations enhance current knowledge of the mechanisms mediating biological effects of FLASH irradiation and may support the development of optimized RT strategies to minimize treatment-associated toxicity, thereby enhancing the therapeutic ratio in cancer treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":94057,"journal":{"name":"International journal of radiation biology","volume":" ","pages":"1001-1013"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147719302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Radiation biomarker screening and dose reconstruction based on machine learning.","authors":"Yucheng Wang, Chenyang Huang, Yan Zhang, Wei Wang, Qibin Fu, Tuchen Huang","doi":"10.1080/09553002.2026.2669161","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09553002.2026.2669161","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Nuclear emergency medical rescue is a critical component of the nuclear emergency response system, playing a vital role in safeguarding public life and health. To address the urgent need for rapid, wide-range radiation biodosimetry in nuclear emergency scenarios, this study utilized female C57BL/6J mice model to develop a machine learning (ML) framework for radiation-responsive biomarker screening and dose reconstruction across a broad dose range (0-12 Gy), laying a foundational preclinical basis for future translational research in human biodosimetry.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>The blood sample of mice was collected at 24 hours and seven days post-irradiation. The gene expression was evaluated by transcriptomic sequencing. Further, differential expression analysis, Spearman's correlation filtering and Boruta algorithm were sequentially employed for screening radiation biomarkers. The stacking model integrating multiple ML algorithm was established for dose reconstruction. The gene expression was ultimately validated by more practical qRT-PCR method.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Spearman's correlation filtering and Boruta algorithm was employed to identify 172 highly robust biomarkers from an initial pool of 25,654 genes. By utilizing a stacked ensemble ML approach, high-accuracy dose reconstruction was achieved across a broad range of 0-12 Gy, with an <i>R</i>² of 0.952 and an RMSE of 0.938 Gy, significantly outperforming conventional regression analysis and individual ML models. Further refinement reduced the gene panel to just 15 key markers while preserving reconstruction accuracy comparable to the full 172-gene model. Experimental validation via qRT-PCR confirmed the reliability of these biomarkers, demonstrating the framework's potential for translation into a field-deployable diagnostic platform for radiation exposure assessment.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We established ML framework that incorporates a multi-stage biomarker screening strategy and a stacking ML mode, to achieve rapid and accurate dose reconstruction across a wide dose range. This methodology provides a novel technical solution for nuclear emergency medical response.</p>","PeriodicalId":94057,"journal":{"name":"International journal of radiation biology","volume":" ","pages":"1134-1148"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147966306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation and identification of chickpea gamma-ray mutant lines for their high yield, nitrogen, and water use efficiency.","authors":"Wahiba Amri-Tiliouine, Fatma Zohra Bouras, Fatiha Zine-Zikara, Dalya Belouad, Khaoula Khadidja Ladoui, Meriem Laouar","doi":"10.1080/09553002.2026.2679141","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09553002.2026.2679141","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aimed to identify chickpea M₃ mutant lines with high yield potential and improved resource-use efficiency under contrasting water regimes using isotopic analysis.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A split-plot factorial design was used to evaluate 17 chickpea M₃ mutant lines under irrigated and rainfed conditions. The measured traits included phenology (flowering and maturity), plant height, hundred-seed weight, seed yield, seed nitrogen content, and drought-related parameters such as nitrogen fixation, carbon isotope discrimination (Δ¹³C), chlorophyll content, relative water content, and canopy temperature.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Genotype significantly affected all measured traits, whereas the water regime influenced all traits except for the hundred-seed weight and seed nitrogen content. The genotype × water-regime interaction affected maturity and Δ¹³C. Seed yield was positively correlated with maturity, plant height, Δ¹³C, seed nitrogen content, chlorophyll content, and relative water content, and negatively correlated with canopy temperature, thereby confirming the relevance of Δ¹³C as a drought-tolerance indicator. Principal Component Analysis explained 63.12% of the variation under irrigation and 59.93% under rainfed conditions, mainly driven by hundred-seed weight, plant height, yield, seed nitrogen content, and flowering time. Cluster analysis grouped the 18 genotypes into four subclusters under both the rain-fed and irrigated regimes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Sixteen out of the 17 M₃ mutant lines outperformed the parent variety under irrigation, and six under rainfed conditions. Lines G4 and G17 showed the highest yields in both environments. Sixteen lines displayed lower Δ¹³C values than the parent under rainfed conditions, indicating greater drought resilience. Lines G10 and G3, with the lowest Δ¹³C, despite lower yields.</p>","PeriodicalId":94057,"journal":{"name":"International journal of radiation biology","volume":" ","pages":"1372-1381"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148159718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of CBC-derived inflammatory markers in Wistar rats exposed to high-dose whole-body X-ray irradiation.","authors":"Ahmad Rezaiyan-Sharifabadi, Mohammad Reza Bayatiani, Saeed Hassani, Yousef Asadi-Fard","doi":"10.1080/09553002.2025.2609848","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09553002.2025.2609848","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Radiation exposure can lead to acute radiation syndrome and systemic inflammation, highlighting the need for accessible tests to assess exposure and its biological effects. This study investigated changes in inflammatory markers derived from CBC in male Wistar rats exposed to total-body irradiation with 6 MV LINAC photons delivered at doses of 6 Gy and 8 Gy, at a dose rate of 200 cGy/min.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 42 rats were randomized into eight groups: control, sham, and irradiated groups. These groups were evaluated at 0-, 24-, and 48-hours post-exposure. Blood samples were analyzed for standard CBC values and derived ratios, such as the NLR (Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio), PLR (Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio<b>)</b>, MLR (Monocyte-to-Lymphocyte Ratio<b>)</b>, HLR (Hemoglobin-to-Lymphocyte Ratio), PMR (Platelet-to- Monocyte Ratio), SII (Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index), and SIRI (Systemic Inflammatory Response Index).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Two-way ANOVA revealed significant time-dependent increases in NLR, PLR, HLR, and SII (p < .001 for all), independent of the radiation dose. MLR and PMR showed significant effects related to both time and dose, with higher values observed at 24-48 hours post-exposure.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our results indicate that the duration following irradiation influences most ratio-based indices, which appear to be sensitive in detecting early responses to radiation effects. This makes them rapid and cost-effective methods for monitoring radiation injury.</p>","PeriodicalId":94057,"journal":{"name":"International journal of radiation biology","volume":" ","pages":"381-387"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145907342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metabolic signature in patients undergoing adjuvant breast irradiation: a potential for biodosimetry?","authors":"Reinhardt Krcek, Christos T Nakas, Katrin Freiburghaus, Daniel M Aebersold, Kristina Lössl, Mojgan Masoodi, Daniel H Schanne","doi":"10.1080/09553002.2025.2588399","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09553002.2025.2588399","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aims to evaluate metabolic alterations in blood and urine samples from breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) to identify potential biomarkers for radiation exposure and contribute to the development of biodosimetry tools, such as for use in nuclear incidents.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Postmenopausal breast cancer patients (n = 20) undergoing postoperative RT were included in this prospective observational study. Blood and urine samples were collected at a total of six time points before, during, and after RT. Metabolic analysis was performed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry and multivariable analyses, including partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and random forest methodology, were used to identify discriminating metabolites. All analyses were performed using R version 4.1.2.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Univariate analysis of blood samples showed significant downregulation of five metabolites during RT (week 5 + 6) compared to pre-RT: Hypoxanthine, 3-hydroxyisobutyric acid, L-lactic acid, pyruvic acid and xanthine (all p < .05). No statistically significant changes were found in urine samples. Multivariate analysis using PLS-DA identified a bundle of metabolites associated with radiation exposure, including diverse amino acids, purines, and bile acids. Extreme gradient boosting demonstrated moderate model performance in discriminating irradiated subjects with an AUC of 0.669 in blood samples.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study identified several metabolites altered by RT in blood, providing insight into the metabolic impact of radiation exposure. These findings could provide a basis for developing diagnostic tools to detect radiation exposure. Further studies with larger and more diverse cohorts are needed to validate these biomarkers.</p>","PeriodicalId":94057,"journal":{"name":"International journal of radiation biology","volume":" ","pages":"12-19"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145552459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"POT1-AS1/IGF2BP2/GPX4 promotes temozolomide resistance and radioresistance in glioblastoma by inhibiting ferroptosis.","authors":"Qiufeng Dong, Junli Huo, Zhifeng Yan, Juan Li, Xiaoyan Chen, Liwen Li, Haining Zhen","doi":"10.1080/09553002.2025.2588395","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09553002.2025.2588395","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor characterized by resistance to temozolomide (TMZ) and radiotherapy. This study investigates the role of long non-coding RNA POT1-AS1 in modulating TMZ resistance (TMZR) and radiation-resistant (RR) in GBM by regulating ferroptosis via the IGF2BP2/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) pathway.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Human GBM cell lines, including TMZR and RR variants, were analyzed. POT1-AS1 expression was silenced using shRNA in U-87MG RR and U-87MG TMZR cells. The impact of POT1-AS1 knockdown on ferroptosis was evaluated by measuring iron concentration, reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) levels. GPX4 protein expression was also analyzed. Ferroptosis inhibition experiments were conducted using Fer-1. The stability of <i>GPX4</i> mRNA was assessed by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>POT1-AS1 and GPX4 were significantly overexpressed in U-87MG RR and TMZR cells. Knockdown of POT1-AS1 increased ferroptosis markers, including elevated iron and ROS levels, reduced GSH content, and downregulated GPX4 expression. POT1-AS1 knockdown sensitized GBM cells to TMZ and radiation. Additionally, the ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1 reversed the effects of POT1-AS1 knockdown. RIP assays confirmed the interaction between POT1-AS1, IGF2BP2, and <i>GPX4</i> mRNA, highlighting the POT1-AS1/IGF2BP2/GPX4 axis as a key regulator of ferroptosis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>POT1-AS1 promotes TMZ and radiation resistance in GBM by regulating ferroptosis through the IGF2BP2/GPX4 axis. Targeting this pathway may offer a new therapeutic strategy for overcoming GBM treatment resistance.</p>","PeriodicalId":94057,"journal":{"name":"International journal of radiation biology","volume":" ","pages":"49-60"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145650524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Role of programmed cell death in radiation-induced intestinal injury.","authors":"Jun Liu, Zhongwei Zhang, Qing-Jie Liu","doi":"10.1080/09553002.2025.2600054","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09553002.2025.2600054","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Radiation-induced intestinal injury (RIII) is a common complication after radiotherapy for abdominal and pelvic tumors, which seriously affects the prognosis and treatment outcome of patients, and lacks effective prevention and treatment methods. The primary pathological manifestations of RIII are the death of intestinal epithelial cells, as well as the destruction of the intestinal mechanical barrier's integrity, which is closely related to various kinds of programmed cell death (PCD). In addition, radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks can trigger a variety of PCDs. Elucidating how different PCD pathways regulate RIII molecular mechanisms and identifying the key therapeutic targets will provide the theoretical foundation for developing RIII prevention and treatment strategies. This review systematically expounds the role of PCD in the pathogenesis of RIII and summarizes the relevant small molecule drugs currently under research.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>PCD plays a central role in the occurrence and development of RIII. Analyzing single pathways and elucidating the 'cross-talk' and regulatory logic between different forms of PCD, as well as identifying key molecular targets located at the intersection of multiple pathways, is likely to become a more effective new direction for prevention and treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":94057,"journal":{"name":"International journal of radiation biology","volume":" ","pages":"205-215"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145727874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Addressing major issues regarding the roles of biodosimetry in responding to a major nuclear incident: report of EPRBioDose2024 roundtable discussion.","authors":"Matthias Port, Donovan Anderson, Harold M Swartz, Valerie Swee Ting Goh, Merriline M Satyamitra, Naduparambil K Jacob, Mattia Romeo, Ruth Wilkins, Ann Barry Flood","doi":"10.1080/09553002.2025.2498978","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09553002.2025.2498978","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The roundtable discussion at EPRBioDose2024 focused on identifying challenges for using biodosimetry in a large nuclear incident and exploring potential solutions to strengthen preparedness and response frameworks. This report outlines the major themes discussed, including advancements in techniques, challenges in scaling operations, and the future of biodosimetry in emergency response. Initiated by International Association of Biological and EPR Radiation Dosimetry (IABERD), a group of experts comprised of professionals in academia, government and other agencies, were asked to discuss the question: 'When and how should biodosimetry be used for an unplanned radiation explosion in the short or long term?' This question challenged participants to consider a range of scenarios, from immediate triage in the aftermath of an incident to long-term health monitoring and risk assessment. Panelists acknowledged that, while biodosimetry plays a crucial role in rapidly assessing exposure levels to guide medical response, its practical implementation can vary based on scale, resources, and timing. They emphasized that in the short term, methods that provide quick, large-scale screening are important, whereas long-term strategies might include more detailed biological assessments to understand cumulative effects and potential health risks. Despite the difficulty of a one-size-fits-all approach, the insights gathered aimed to inform strategies that balance speed, accuracy, and sustainability in biodosimetry practices. Finally, panelists emphasized the need for better communication about preparedness with the general public and healthcare providers, and a more collaborative approach that also takes into account evaluating the practicality of various methods for triage or guiding treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":94057,"journal":{"name":"International journal of radiation biology","volume":" ","pages":"719-730"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144082907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effective centrifugation techniques for improving the frequency of metaphase spreads in lymphocytopenic patients.","authors":"Hyo Jin Yoon, Hae Young Ko, Su San Yang, Soon Woo Kwon, Minsu Cho, Jin Kyung Lee, Tomisato Miura, Yohei Fujishima, Donovan Anderson, Yang Hee Lee","doi":"10.1080/09553002.2025.2510674","DOIUrl":"10.1080/09553002.2025.2510674","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Cytogenetic biodosimetry is used for radiation dose assessment by evaluating chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes. However, high-dose radiation may cause low absolute lymphocyte counts (ALCs), making it difficult to obtain sufficient metaphase spreads for analysis. This study aimed to optimize centrifugation settings to enrich metaphase spreads, particularly for lymphocytopenic patients.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Peripheral blood samples from four healthy donors and one lymphocytopenic patient were collected. Lymphocytes were harvested using one of four centrifugation settings. After an additional low-speed centrifugation step (200 × <i>g</i> for 1 minute) in each experiment, we evaluated slide quality using mitotic index (MI) and metaphase frequency (MF), which were calculated by the number of metaphases and blasts using Metafer 4 software.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We established an automatic measurement method for metaphases and blasts, adjusting the settings of Metafer 4. In four healthy donors, the strongest centrifugation (Exp. 4, 879 × <i>g</i> for 5 minutes) yielded the highest number of 'all cells' after harvest. Incorporating an additional low-speed centrifugation step significantly increased MF by 1.5- to 2-fold across all settings, with the greatest improvement observed in Exp. 4. This approach was applied to a lymphocytopenic patient, resulting in a 3.5-fold improvement of MF and the production of high-quality slides. MI was not significantly affected by centrifugation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The combined high-speed and additional low-speed centrifugation method increased MF, improved slide quality by eliminating lower-density cells, and made it easier to analyze metaphase spreads. This method could be used for obtaining sufficient metaphase spreads in lymphocytopenic patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":94057,"journal":{"name":"International journal of radiation biology","volume":" ","pages":"813-820"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144210557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}