Biochemical approach to prediction of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome

Variation in many biological parameters can be directly measured in different tissues following radiation exposure. These biological parameters are a useful complement to the sometimes non-existent clinical symptomatology and to the often incomplete physical reconstruction of the accidental radiation exposure situation. For many years, the scoring of unstable chromosome aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes was stated as an accurate reference in cases of acute, whole body and homogeneous irradiation. However, most radiation overexposures are heterogeneous, fractionated or their evaluation delayed. New methods were thus added to the conventional cytogenetic ones to set up a multiparametric panel of biological dosimetry. These methods have been developed in the cytogenetic area (translocations, micronuclei, prematurely condensed chromosomes, Qdr, Dolphin) on circulating lymphocytes as well as on resident cells, in order to assess the dose received locally. The dose itself is not sufficient to predict ...