Aneuploidy in somatic cells of in utero exposed A-bomb survivors in Hiroshima

Cytogenetic data on cultured lymphocytes of the in utero exposed A-bomb survivors in the RERF Adult Health Study cohort have been analyzed using the G-banding technique to determine the frequency of aneuploid cells. The data consist of blood samples collected between 1985 and 1987 from 264 Hiroshima individuals for whom DS86 maternal uterine dose estimates are available: 124 proximally exposed (74 males and 50 females) with an estimated dose of 0.005 Sv or more, and 140 distally exposed (76 males and 64 females) with a dose estimate of 0 Sv, assuming the neutron relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of 10.

A main feature of aneuploidy was the aneuploid frequency in autosomes depended generally on chromosome length; aneuploidies were significantly more frequent in shorter chromosomes than in longer chromosomes. The frequency of aneuploidies also depended on type, with chromosome loss approximately five times more frequent than chromosome gain. However, chromosome 21, as well as the sex chromosomes, were notable in that aneuploidy was much more frequent for these chromosomes than would be predicted from a simple relationship with length. X chromosome aneuploidies were significantly more frequent in females than in males. There was no dependence of aneuploid frequencies on dose when measured 40 years after the exposure.