Published online Sep 28, 2015. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v7.i9.266
Peer-review started: May 27, 2015
First decision: June 18, 2015
Revised: July 3, 2015
Accepted: July 29, 2015
Article in press: August 3, 2015
Published online: September 28, 2015
Processing time: 140 Days and 22.8 Hours
The radiation is considered as a double edged sword, as its beneficial and detrimental effects have been demonstrated. The potential benefits are being exploited to its maximum by adopting safe handling of radionuclide stipulated by the regulatory agencies. While the occupational workers are monitored by personnel monitoring devices, for general publics, it is not a regular practice. However, it can be achieved by using biomarkers with a potential for the radiation triage and medical management. An ideal biomarker to adopt in those situations should be rapid, specific, sensitive, reproducible, and able to categorize the nature of exposure and could provide a reliable dose estimation irrespective of the time of the exposures. Since cytogenetic markers shown to have many advantages relatively than other markers, the origins of various chromosomal abnormalities induced by ionizing radiations along with dose-response curves generated in the laboratory are presented. Current status of the gold standard dicentric chromosome assay, micronucleus assay, translocation measurement by fluorescence in-situ hybridization and an emerging protein marker the γ-H2AX assay are discussed with our laboratory data. With the wide choice of methods, an appropriate assay can be employed based on the net.
Core tip: Of the well-established biomarker, the dicentric chromosome assay remains a gold standard, with sensitivity and specificity to radiation. In contrast, micronucleus is simple, rapid and potential for triage, though the sensitivity is less and not able to differentiate the partial body exposure from that of whole body exposure. The expensive fluorescence in-situ hybridization has the advantage that it can be employed in chronic and retrospective dose estimation. The γ-H2AX assay has a potential for triage despite the fact of limited stability. To conclude none of the assay could fulfil all the criteria of an ideal biomarker.