Effect of low dose radiation from general X-ray to T-cell lymphocyte expression using an in vitro method

In medical practice, a general X-ray is necessary for diagnosing various ailments. But using low dose X-rays would induce risk on cells of the patient. The purpose of this study was to examine the low dose radiation-induced cell response of CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. In this experiment, T-cell lymphocytes were collected from healthy volunteers, then were irradiated with 0.47, to 2.30 mGy, referring from general X-ray techniques of chest, abdomen, lumbar spine and pelvis. Using a three-colour flow-cytometry method – which measures CD3+ T-cells and ratios of CD4+ to CD8+ T-cells (CD4/CD8 ratio) for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after irradiation – we found that the cell morphology did not change after exposure to low dose X-rays. CD3+ T-cell levels were increased compared to the control group in a dose-responsive manner over 48–96 h, similar to the CD4/CD8 ratios which were increased at 72–96 h. In conclusion, the effect of low dose X-rays from general X-ray techniques are dose-dependent on T-cell responses in the in vitro system. The knowledge of low dose radiation effects lets us know about the harmful effects of ionising radiation, especially on cells of the immune system and caution us to the unnecessary use of diagnostic radiology.