[The analysis of mutations at mini- and microsatellite DNA loci in the family members of a group of occupationally exposed to tritium and tritium oxide plant workers].

: Mini/microsatellite (MNS/MCS) loci are efficient tools in solving basic and applied problems in different spheres of biology and medicine due to their unique characteristics - a high frequency of tandem repeats in combination with their wide variability. Specifically, they have been found use as potential markers of genetic effects of ionizing radiation on animals and on human. However there is no general agreement as to the influence of irradiation on the frequency of mutations in hypervariable repetitive DNA sequences up to now. The present work is the study of the mutation frequency at MCS/MNS loci in 19 families of workers occupationally exposed to chronic beta-radiation from tritium and tritium oxide (examined group), and in the control group included 23 families. The results have indicated that the average frequency of microsatellite mutations in the examined group made up 4.7% and exceeds about 7-fold the same parameter of the control group (0.7%). This differences is statistically significant (p = 0.004). The average frequency of minisatellite mutation in the examined group made up 3% while in the control group it was 2 time lower (1.5%), but this difference is not statistically significant. Mutations for 4 MCS and 2 MNS loci were revealed in two children from one family (the total reconstructed dose in their father was about 1000 mSv). If we exclude this family from statistical analysis the frequencies of MCS and MNS mutations in the children of nuclear workers do not statistically differ from the control values.