UV-C induced DNA damage in leukocytes of Chernobyl accident clean-up workers

The comet assay was used to estimate DNA damage induced by UV-C irradiation in leukocytes of Chernobyl clean-up workers (1986-1987). Blood samples wer e corrected from 12 clean-up workers in 1997, ten years after exposure in d oses not higher than 0.25 Gy. Reference blood samples were obtained from 12 healthy persons of corresponding ages (control). Our results show an incre ased sensitivity of DNA of leukocytes of clean-up workers to UV-C irradiati on compared to leukocytes from controls. There were no statistically signif icant interindividual differences in the background of DNA damage in leukoc ytes of each of the investigated groups and between the groups.