Numerical relationship between cells with radiation-induced chromosome aberrations and cells lethally injured by radiation.

The numerical relationship between radiation-induced chromosome aberrations in human G0 lymphocytes and reproductive lethality of human bone-marrow lymphocytes is analysed within a large LET interval. The comparison is based upon the evaluation of the coefficient a of the linear component of the corresponding dose-effect-relation for the frequency of cells without aberrations and for the frequency of surviving cells respectively. The good correlation between these coefficients over a large LET interval supports the hypothesis that structural chromosome aberrations and reproductive cell death both result from the same gross chromatin damage.