ABSTRACT
A comparative comet-assay study of X-ray influence on DNA of leukocytes of peripheral blood from both cancer patients in the course of chemotherapy and on healthy donors was carried out. The amount of DNA registered in comet tails of blood samples from 18 healthy donors was between 0.8-3.6%. The mean value was 2.9 +/- 0.5%. In the preparations of cancer patients, an increase in comet tail DNA was observed for each chemotherapy course and in each subsequent course compared to the previous one. The individual variations were found in the level of DNA damage in the response to the administration of cyclophosphane, of methotrexate, of 5-fluorourocil (CMF protocol). The X-ray radiation (4 Gy) challenge test of blood cells showed an increase in comet tail DNA, the dynamics of radiation-induced lesions varying between individuals. The combined use of X-ray radiation and of the comet-assay in evaluating the capacity of the defence systems of the whole blood cells during chemotherapy let us to hold the monitoring of the state of genome of leukocytes without their isolation. This approach enables additional information on leukocyte genome to be rapidly obtained.
