Adult Health Study Report 4
Technical Report No. 20-63
ABCC-JNIH Adult Health Study. Report 4. 1960-62 cycle examinations, Hiroshima-Nagasaki
Freedman LR, Fukushima K, Seigel DG
Editor’s note:
No journal article was published.
Summary
This report presents data from the ABCC-JNIH Adult Health Study examinations. The purpose of the study is to determine by clinical investigation any late medical effects of radiation in persons exposed to the 1945 atomic bombings of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The first series of examinations was conducted during 1958-1960. This report is based on second examinations conducted subsequent to the first, up to 30 June, 1962.
The data are considered in the light of any differences in laboratory findings or disease detection:
According to the degree of exposure to ionizing radiation as judged by location and acute radiation injury at the time of the bombings.
According to general epidemiologic features apparent in the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
None of the findings by themselves provided a convincing demonstration of an effect attributable to radiation. The increased frequency of thyroid disease in persons 0-1399 m from the hypocenter with histories of acute radiation injury (Comparison Group 1a) was in accord with other ABCC studies. Many other differences were found by comparing Comparison Group 1a with all other persons. These differences provide the basis for prospective detailed substudies. Final judgment of the significance of any discrepancy must await the outcome of these substudies.
Certain statistically significant late effects of radiation have been detected in other ABCC-JNIH studies (e.g. leukemia, myelofibrosis). The principal reason why these changes were not found in this analysis was because the rate at which these findings have been detected in other studies was insufficient to permit their detection in a clinic population of the size available. Future compilations of cumulative diagnosis (including deaths) will be of great interest for the analysis of these diseases which are relatively infrequent in the living population.
The medical surveillance of a large number of the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki provided an unprecedented opportunity for the collection of information concerning diseases of major importance to public health and welfare. The prevalence and incidence of certain findings were found to be different in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For example, tuberculosis, neoplasms of the digestive organs, gastric ulcer, diseases of the thyroid, diabetes mellitus, blood diseases, and arteriosclerosis were more frequent in Hiroshima. On the other hand, syphilis, cerebrovascular accidents, intestinal parasitism, liver and kidney disease, and arthritis were more frequent in Nagasaki.
The data from the hematological examinations demonstrate a decrease in hemoglobin and hematocrit with increasing age in men. In both sexes total white blood cell counts decreased with age and the values for males were higher than those for females. Total white blood cell counts in Hiroshima were higher than in Nagasaki.
The need continues for superimposition of a number of epidemiologic investigations onto the basic structure of the Adult Health Study to better define and explore the differences between cities. These substudies will undoubtedly provide a more precise foundation for the study of radiation effects and further understanding of important diseases.
Finally, since this study brings together scientists from two parts of the world, patterns of disease detected in Japan inevitably were compared with personal and published experience in the United States. Many suspected differences between these countries have been commented upon in the medical literature. The Adult Health Study is contributing data which will establish or deny these differences.
Editor’s note:
The following components of this report contain data on communicable disease frequencies, allergies, malignancies, and many other symptoms that may be of interest from a public health standpoint.
List of Tables
- Tentative contacting results by examination cycle and contacting category
- Summary of selected contacting results by examination cycle, city, and sex
- Summary of contacting results 1960-1962 cycle by comparison group, city and sex
- Subjects examined, number and percentage, by examination cycle, city, sex, and age
- Distribution of 1960-1962 examination cycle by comparison group, city, sex, and age
- Summary of diagnoses, Comparison Group 1a, by city, sex, and age
- Summary of selected diagnoses by city, sex, and age
- Prevalence of selected diagnoses by city, sex, and age
- Age-adjusted incidence of selected neoplasms/100,000 population
- Tentative contacting results by examination cycle, contacting category, city, and sex
- Hemoglobin values, mean and difference, 1958-1960 and 1960-1962 examinations by city, sex, and comparison group
- Hematocrit values, mean and difference, 1958-1960 and 1960-1962 examinations by city, sex, and comparison group
- White blood cell counts, mean and difference, 1958-1960 and 1960-1962 examinations by city, sex, and comparison group
- White blood cell counts, number of persons 1960-1962 examination by city, sex, and comparison group
- Neutrophils, percentage, 1960-1962 examination, by white blood cell count, city, sex, and comparison group
- Lymphocytes, percentage, 1960-1962 examination, by white blood cell count, city, sex, and comparison group
- Monocytes, percentage, 1960-1962 examination, by white blood cell count, city, sex, and comparison group
- Eosinophils, percentage, 1960-1962 examination, by white blood cell count, city, sex, and comparison group
- Basophils, percentage, 1960-1962 examination, by white blood cell count, city, sex, and comparison group
- Proteinuria, percentage, 1958-1960 and 1960-1962 examinations by comparison group, male + female
- Glycosuria, percentage, 1958-1960 and 1960-1962 examinations by city, sex, and comparison group
- Hematuria, percentage, 1960-1962 examination by city, sex, and comparison group
- Blood in stool, percentage, 1960-1962 examination by city, sex, and comparison group
- Parasites or ova in stool, percentage, 1960-1962 examination by city, sex, and comparison group
- Systolic blood pressure, mean and difference, 1958-1960 and 1960-1962 examinations by city, sex, and comparison group
- Diastolic blood pressure, mean and difference, 1958-1960 and 1960-1962 examinations by city, sex, and comparison group
- Main diagnoses, prevalence rates, 1960-1962 examination by city, sex, and comparison group
- Main diagnoses, incidence rates, 1960-1962 examination by city, sex, and comparison group
- Probability value of T-test on selected laboratory data by comparison groups compared with total groups
- Diagnoses for which group 1a incidence or prevalence is highest or lowest among comparison groups, and results of T-test
- Probability value of T-test on selected laboratory data–comparison between cities, sexes and age groups
- Probability value of T-test on incidence rate of selected diagnoses–comparison between cities, sexes and age groups
- Probability value of T-test on prevalence rate of selected diagnoses–comparison between cities, sexes and age groups
- Probability value of T-test on differences between 1958-1960 and 1960-1962 examination cycle (Hemoglobin and WBC)
- Percentage distribution of ABO blood type by city, sex, age or comparison group
List of Figures
- Estimated gamma and neutron air dose by distance from hypocenter
- Shielding categories, percentage, by city, sex, and distance from hypocenter
- Acute radiation injury, percentage, by city and distance from hypocenter
- Acute radiation injury, percentage, by T57Dose and city
- Acute radiation injury, percentage, by T57Dose, age, and city
- Hemoglobin, hematocrit, and total white blood cell count by examination cycle, city, sex, and age
- Neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes by total white blood cell count, city, sex, and age
- Eosinophils and basophils by total white blood cell count, city, sex, and age
- Blood pressure by examination cycle, city, sex, and age
- Tuberculosis of respiratory system; syphilis and its sequelae by city, sex, and age
- Malignant neoplasms of digestive organs and peritoneum, acute upper respiratory infections, and diseases of thyroid gland by city, sex, and age
- Diabetes mellitus and vascular lesions affecting central nervous system by city, sex, and age
- Arteriosclerotic and degenerative heart disease and hypertensive heart disease by city, sex, and age
- Other hypertensive disease and disease of arteries by city, sex, and age
- Bronchitis and diseases of stomach and duodenum by city, sex, and age
- Diseases of liver; gallbladder and pancreas; arthritis and rheumatism by city, sex, and age
- Rheumatoid arthritis and accidents, poisonings, and violence by city, sex, and age
- Malignant neoplasms, Japan vs U.S. white, age-adjusted death rates