Radiation sensitivity of leukocytes from healthy individuals and breast cancer patients as measured by the alkaline and neutral comet assay

Initial radiation-induced DNA damage, dose–response curves and kinetics of DNA repair in leukocytes from healthy volunteers and breast cancer patients, was assessed using alkaline and neutral comet assay after exposure to 60Co gamma rays. Both versions of comet assay showed higher levels of baseline DNA damage in leukocytes of breast cancer cases than in controls. Gamma ray induced initial DNA damage in leukocytes of cancer cases was not significantly different from that of healthy donors. A similar dose–response was obtained with both versions of comets for two groups. After a repair time of 24 h, following irradiation, samples from the healthy individuals showed no residual DNA damage in their leukocytes, whereas breast cancer patients revealed more than 20%. Although similar initial radiosensitivity was observed for both groups but the repair kinetics of radiation-induced DNA damage of leukocytes from breast cancer cases and healthy subjects was statistically different.