CHROMOSOME TRANSLOCATIONS DETECTED BY FLUORESCENCE IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION (FISH) - A USEFUL TOOL IN POPULATION MONITORING

It is assumed that symmetrical translocations persist in peripheral ly mphocytes for years. For this reason, they should be valuable indicato rs especially for chronic exposures of populations to mutagens or carc inogens. Reciprocal translocations can be easily detected by means of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Very little is known about the spontaneous frequency, which forms the basis for population monito ring, and the variations which exist between individuals. The frequenc ies obtained on the basis of structural chromosome aberrations detecte d by means of FISH in 29 healthy persons are presented, and the deviat ions in the occurrence of symmetrical translocations arising in the di fferent persons are indicated. Tests for the determination of persiste nce levels, are carried out on persons exposed to radiation. The chrom osomes 2, 4 and 8 are painted parallel to the centromeres, by means of the FISH technique. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.