Evaluation of cytogenetic biomarkers in occupationally exposures of medical radiation-workers to low doses of ionizing radiation: A review article

Background: Ionizing radiation plays an important role in medical diagnosis and treatment. However, it may have adverse effects on human health. Adherence to the principles of protection against ionizing radiation can be effective in reducing these adverse effects. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate different researches related to the effect of occupational radiation from low doses of ionizing radiation in medical staff by using two standard cytogenetic biomarkers. Material and Methods: In this study, a summary of recent studies on medical exposure who are occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation is presented. In the following, the results of these articles and confounding factors are discussed. Results: The most of studies stated that chronic exposures of low doses of ionizing radiation increases chromosomal aberrations and micronucleus frequency in medical exposure compared to the control group. However, there are some conflicting results that need to be considered. On the other hand, in addition to the cumulative dose and years of employment, other various factors such as age, sex, smoking or even special diets can also affect these injuries. Conclusion: Due to the use of ionizing radiation in the medical field, the protection of medical exposures is important and serious. Therefore, it seems that continuous biological monitoring along with standard protocols for radiation protection is essential.