Risk assessment for benzene induced leukemia based on a chromosome aberration test using CD34⁺ cells

Abstract

Risk assessment system for radiation has been well developed, so defining the radiation equivalent dose for chemical agents could place in the order of their risk. As well as the radiation, benzene causes leukemia to humans. Therefore, we evaluated the radiation equivalent dose for benzene based on its metabolites and low-dose rate radiation induced chromosome aberrations using CD34⁺ cells from human bone marrow, which is the target organ of benzene induced leukemia. As a result, we got leukemia estimates which were about thirtieth part of those evaluated by U.S.EPA based on epidemiological data. We need to accumulate much more studies in order to validate this framework, but it could be effectual as an alternative risk assessment with few animal studies.