SOMATIC MUTATIONS AT THE GLYCOPHORIN A (GPA) LOCUS MEASURED IN RED-CELLS OF CHERNOBYL LIQUIDATORS WHO IMMIGRATED TO ISRAEL

Glycophorin A (GPA) assays for human erythrocytes with gene expression loss and duplication phenotypes (N <empty set>, NN) were carried out on 15 Chernobyl clean-up workers (liquidators) who immigrated to Israe l within the preceding 5 years, 19 local Israeli controls, and 14 Russ ian (nonliquidator) immigrants. GPA phenotype variants in red blood ce lls of the 15 liquidators showed values ranging from 1 to 101 events/1 0(6) cells, with a mean +/-SD of 25.6 +/-7.0. In comparison, the 19 Is raeli controls had values ranging from 0 to 13 GPA events per 10(6) ce lls, with a mean +/-SD of 3.9+/-0.8. The difference was highly signifi cant (p<0.001). Another group of 14 volunteer control subjects (nonliq uidators) who had emigrated from the former Soviet Union to Israel dur ing the past 5 years showed values ranging from 0.0 to 35.0 events per 10(6) cells, with a mean +/-SD of 6.1+/-2.7. The difference between t his group and the liquidator group was significant at p<0.01. The resu lts are compatible with past exposure to radiation in the group identi fied as liquidators.