CHROMOSOMAL-ABERRATIONS AND MICRONUCLEUS FREQUENCY IN NURSES OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED TO CYTOTOXIC DRUGS

In this study, we evaluated the effect of low level occupational expos ure of nurses in a medical oncology unit in Cairo, Egypt, to anticance r drugs. Twenty nurses who constantly handled these drugs and 20 contr ols, matched according to age and sex, were examined. Metaphase chromo somes were studied. Percentages of metaphases with chromosomal aberrat ions were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the exposed group (6.1 /- 2.7) versus the controls (2.6 +/- 1.6). The detected chromosomal ab errations were in the form of chromatid gaps, chromatid breaks and ace ntric fragments. Micronucleated peripheral blood lymphocytes were also analyzed in cytochalasin B treated binucleated lymphocytes. There was significant increase in cells with micronuclei (P < 0.001) in nurses (10.05 +/- 4.71) in comparison to the matched control (5.42 +/- 2.22) (P < 0.001). Nurses exposed to the cytotoxic drugs for greater than or equal to 48 months showed a slightly higher frequency of cells with c hromosomal aberrations as well as micronucleated cells than those expo sed for <48 months, but these differences were not statistically signi ficant (P > 0.05).