Cytogenetical Studies of Miners from Uranium Mines in the Western Carpathians.

Abstract

The karyotype analysis in miners working for 5 to 10 years in uranium mines revealed the existence of a normal chromosomal complement in 75-90% from analysed metaphases cells.Polyploidy and aneuploidy are frequent. The polyploidy through endomitosis can be merelythe very consequence of culture stress rather than an “in situ” state; when such polyploid cells ap-pear “in situ”, they are subject of elimination process under the guidance of regulatory mechanisms.Many different chromosomal rearrangements have been seen, the most frequent being attraction of satellite chromosomes (i.e. nucleolus organizing regions, which contain ribosomal cistrons), centromeric fusions of Robertsonian type, involving acrocentric chromosomes, varying in number from 3 to 5, leading to the apperance of characteristic triradial or cross structures.A quite high frequency of chromosomal lacunae and breakages, peculiar SCE patterns, lampbrush-like metaphase chromosomes were encountered.It is difficult to make any correlation between the presence of such chromosomal rearrangements (i.e. modifications) and their clinical significance, but the evidence leads one to the conclusion that the environment of uranium mines is a potentially mutagenic one. It can not be ruled out that at least some chromosomal abnormalities are pathological.