Long-term effects of radiation dose on inflammatory markers in atomic bomb survivors

Hayashi T, Morishita Y, Kubo Y, Kusunoki Y, Hayashi I, Kasagi F, Hakoda M, Kyoizumi S, Nakachi K
Am J Med 118(1):83-6, 2005

Summary

Exposure to atomic bomb (A-bomb) radiation has had long-lasting health effects in survivors, even after a half century and more. In this study we investigated the association between radiation dose and sub-clinical inflammatory status and/or immunoglobulin production in A-bomb survivors in Hiroshima. Four hundred and forty two participants were randomly selected from a long-term epidemiological cohort of A-bomb survivors. Peripheral blood samples were assayed for inflammatory markers and antibody levels. We observed a statistically significant increase with increased radiation dose in the following markers: (1) plasma levels of inflammatory markers TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-10, (2) erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and (3) total Ig, IgA, and IgM levels. We observed no significant radiation dose effects for IgG and IgE levels. Since both radiation and aging were associated with increases in most of the inflammatory markers investigated in this study, we estimated the effect of radiation in terms of age acceleration. Judging from the ESR and the levels of TNF-alpha, IL-10, and total Ig, exposure to 1 Gy was equivalent to an increase in age of about 9 years. These results suggest that A-bomb radiation may contribute as much to the production of inflammatory markers and antibodies as aging does, implying that radiation exposure may accelerate aging of inflammatory status.

Reproduced from Am J Med 118(1): 83-6, Hayashi T. Morishita Y, Kubo Y. Kusunoki Y, Hayashi I, Kasagi F, Hakoda M, Kyoizumi S. Nakachi K, Long-term effects of radiation dose on inflammatory markers in atomic bomb survivors, with permission from © 2005 Elsevier Inc.