Technical report: application of the Metafer2 fluorescence scanning system for the analysis of radiation-induced chromosome aberrations measured by FISH-chromosome painting

The Metafer2 fluorescence scanning system was used for routine analysis of radiation-induced exchange aberrations measured by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) chromosome painting in human peripheral lymphocytes. The system enables a rapid and unbiased fully-automated finding and image acquisition of fluorescently stained metaphase spreads. The chromosome aberration analysis is performed interactively from stored digitised processed gallery images, presented on a screen. Appropriate software image filters are available to further improve these pictures by background correction, noise reduction and fluorescence signal enhancement. Data sets generated by computer-assisted and manual scoring of radiation-induced reciprocal translocations (2B) and total 2B (2B+related ‘one-way’ types) or complete dicentrics (2A) and total 2A (2A+related ‘one-ways’) involving painted target chromosomes 2, 3 or 4 were compared and no significant differences were found. A linear-quadratic dose–response curve for total translocations ( 2 B+‘ one- ways’+ complex -derived types) based on computer-assisted analysis of 27,741 metaphases with chromosome 4 painting was compared to a curve obtained earlier for manually scored translocations in a set of target chromosomes 1, 4 and 12. After extrapolation to the whole genome, no significant difference between both curves was found. From our results it can be derived that computer-assisted aberration analysis using the Metafer2 system is a reliable alternative to manual analysis. Since time saving for computer-assisted translocation analysis is about 50% compared to manual scoring, this system is highly promising for a practical application in retrospective biodosimetry of human radiation exposure.