Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40062825›Full record

ArticleRadiation protection dosimetry2025

Relative biological effectiveness of 31 meV thermal neutrons in peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Laura C Paterson, Fawaz Ali, Mohsen Naseri, David Perez Loureiro, Amy Festarini, Marilyne Stuart, Chad Boyer, Ronald Rogge, Christie Costello, Norma Ybarra and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Radiation protection dosimetry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Laura C PatersonRadiobiology and Health Branch, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, 286 Plant Rd, Chalk River, ON K0J 1J0, Canada.ORCID 0009-0001-5649-9432
Fawaz AliBiology R&D Facility Branch, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, 286 Plant Rd, Chalk River, ON K0J 1J0, Canada.
Mohsen NaseriApplied Physics Branch, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, 286 Plant Rd, Chalk River, ON K0J 1J0, Canada.
David Perez LoureiroApplied Physics Branch, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, 286 Plant Rd, Chalk River, ON K0J 1J0, Canada.
Amy FestariniEnvironment and Waste Technologies Branch, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, 286 Plant Rd, Chalk River, ON K0J 1J0, Canada.
Marilyne StuartEnvironment and Waste Technologies Branch, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, 286 Plant Rd, Chalk River, ON K0J 1J0, Canada.
Chad BoyerAdvanced Fuels and Reactor Physics Branch, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, 286 Plant Rd, Chalk River, ON K0J 1J0, Canada.
Ronald RoggeNational Security and Critical Infrastructure Directorate, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, 286 Plant Rd, Chalk River, ON K0J 1J0, Canada.
Christie CostelloRadiobiology and Health Branch, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, 286 Plant Rd, Chalk River, ON K0J 1J0, Canada.
Norma YbarraMedical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada.
John KildeaMedical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-7084-1425
Richard B RichardsonRadiobiology and Health Branch, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, 286 Plant Rd, Chalk River, ON K0J 1J0, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-8058-4162

Funding

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's Federal Nuclear Science & Technology Work Plan
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The reported relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for thermal neutrons has a large range (5-51, for cytogenetic endpoints), which can confound radiation protection decision-making. To determine whether thermal neutron spectra can influence RBE, the RBE of reactor-derived thermal neutrons of average energy 31 meV was evaluated in human peripheral blood lymphocytes using two classical DNA double-strand break endpoints: the dicentric chromosome assay (DCA) and the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay. Dose-response curves for 41 to 408 mGy revealed a preference for linear regression. Maximum RBE (RBEM) values of 6.7 ± 0.9 and 4.4 ± 0.7 were calculated for the DCA and the micronucleus assay, respectively. These 31 meV RBEM values were significantly lower than our prior results for 64 meV thermal neutrons, which yielded a DCA RBEM of 11.3 ± 1.6 and a micronucleus RBEM of 9.0 ± 1.1. Dose-specific RBE values decreased with increasing dose for both assays. Microdosimetry simulations demonstrated similar quality factor values for both thermal neutron spectra. Dose deposition differences on the cellular scale, the difference in dose rate between irradiation configurations, or a not-yet understood phenomenon may be responsible for the RBE difference between the 31 and 64 meV thermal spectra. These findings indicate that the currently accepted radiation weighting factor wR value of 2.5 for thermal neutrons may underestimate the radiation detriment to small or shallow tissue targets including the lens of the eye.

Indexed as

Chromosome AberrationsLymphocytesNeutronsRelative Biological EffectivenessAdultDNA Breaks, Double-StrandedDose-Response Relationship, RadiationHumansMaleMicronucleus TestsRadiation Dosage

Identifiers

PMID40062825
PMCPMC11926985

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.