title: Cytogenetic biodosimetry for Fukushima travelers after the nuclear power plant accident: no evidence of enhanced yield of dicentrics.
abstract: Individuals who traveled to contaminated areas after the Fukushima nuclear accident have concerns about the health effects. However, medical follow-up for any adverse health effects will be difficult without personal dose measurements. Cytogenetic biodosimetry is a reasonable method of assessing absorbed doses retrospectively. We analyzed dicentric chromosomes for 265 Fukushima travelers, mostly journalists and rescue workers, who had been dispatched to northeastern Japan during the nuclear emergency. As a control group, 37 healthy volunteers who had not visited Japan since the accident were enrolled. Yields of dicentrics and absorbed doses calculated from a dose-response calibration curve for travelers and the control group were compared. The cut-off level for dicentric chromosomes in the controls was 3.5 per 1000 cells. Of the 265 travelers, 31 had elevated numbers of dicentrics (High-Dics group) while 234 were below the cut-off (Normal-Dics group). All but one of the individuals in the High-Dics group also reported a significantly higher number of medical exposures to radiation within the past three years compared with the Normal-Dics or control groups. The 225 travelers with no history of medical exposure showed no difference of dicentrics yield compared to the control group. Our data indicate that Fukushima travel alone did not enhance the yield of dicentrics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Dosimetry, National Radiation Emergency Medical Center, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, 75 Nowon-gil, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-706, South Korea. jklee@kirams.re.kr
authors.forename: Jin Kyung
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun-Ae
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Seung-Sook
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Wi-Ho
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Joan Francesc
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Barquinero
authors.forename: Hyo Rak
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Min Su
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020732:Cytogenetic Analysis / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014195:Travel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*