[The cytogenetic examination of children in the Saint Petersburg region who suffered as a result of the accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station. The frequency of unstable chromosome aberrations in the peripheral blood lymphocytes].

Cytogenetic study of 90 children suffered from the Chernobyl accident was carried out. The rate of unstable chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes was higher in groups of children whose parents took part in amelioration work after the Chernobyl accident, children evacuated from the contaminated areas and children of patients received antitumor radio- and chemotherapy as compared to nonexposed children. The increase was due mainly to single fragments. In the group of children evacuated from contaminated areas the rate of exchanges was also increased.