title: Analysis of blood lymphocyte subsets in children living on territory that received high amounts of fallout from Chernobyl accident.
abstract: The major lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood were assessed in 120 children 6-13 years old living on areas that received high levels of radioactivity as fallout after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. Seventy-one of the children were suffering from recurrent respiratory disease (RRDC) and 49 were not (non-RRDC). As controls, a total of 87 RRDC and non-RRDC living on noncontaminated areas were evaluated. We did not find significant differences in major lymphocyte subsets between the values in non-RRDC living on radionuclide-contaminated areas and noncontaminated areas. However, RRDC living on radionuclide-contaminated areas had a significantly lower percentage of CD3+ T and CD3+CD4+ T-helper/ inducer cells compared to control RRDC. Furthermore, the decrease in percentage of CD3+CD4+ cells was more profound in RRDC living in radiation-contaminated settlements with an average summary dose (ASD) Cs-137(134) and Sr-90 for the population > 1.0 mSv than in RRDC living in contaminated settlements with an ASD Cs-137(134) and Sr-90 < 1.0 mSv. These data indicated that long-time exposure to small doses of radiation could affect the immune system in children living around Chernobyl.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology, Academy of Medical Sciences, Kiev, Ukraine.
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Chernyshov
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Vykhovanets
authors.forename: I I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Slukvin
authors.forename: Y G
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Antipkin
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Vasyuk
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Strauss
mesh_terms: D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D011847:Radioactive Fallout; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014455:Ukraine
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D011847:Radioactive Fallout