Rapid Triage of Radiation Exposure Using a 4-Gene Real Time PCR Test
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Abstract
The ability to distinguish the concerned public from the significantly exposed is of critical importance for mounting an effective response to a mass scale nuclear incident. Here we describe the development and performance of a radiation biodosimetry blood test with a sensitivity of 99.0% and specificity of 96.5% for the qualitative determination of irradiated vs non-irradiated. Similar performance is observed in human and non- human primate (rhesus macaque) blood samples for in vivo total body irradiation as well as ex vivo blood irradiation. The test is based on the relative expression of 3 radiation responsive mRNA biomarkers relative to a normalizer mRNA using a pre-established cut-off. Blood samples must be collected into an RNA stabilizing blood collection device and sample testing is compatible with the real time PCR infrastructure used worldwide for COVID-19 pandemic response.
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