title: Professional exposure to ionizing radiations in health workers and white blood cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study is to estimate if low dose of occupational exposure to ionizing radiations can cause alterations of plasma concentrations of total white blood cells, lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes (eosinophils, basophils, neutrophils), in the health workers of a big hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  266 non smokers subjects of both sexes (133 health workers and 133 controls) were included in this study, compared on the basis of sex, age and working seniority. The complete blood count (CBC) was performed in all included workers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The differences between the mean values were compared using Student T-test for unpaired data. The frequencies of the single variables were compared using Chi (2) test with Yates correction. The differences were considered significant when the P values were < 0.05. The mean values and the distribution of the mean values of total white blood cell were significantly decreased in health workers of both sexes compared to controls. The average values of granulocytes neutrophils were significantly low in female health workers compared to female controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The obtained results suggest that low dose of occupational exposure to ionizing radiations is able to influence some lines of the hematopoietic system in exposed workers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Histology, Medical-Legal and the Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Caciari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capozzella
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tomei
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Nieto
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Gioffrè
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Valentini
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Scala
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andreozzi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Sio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chighine
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tomei
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciarrocca
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000528:radiation effects; D006282:Health Personnel; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000528:radiation effects; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D012384:Rome; D012494:Sampling Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013679:Technology, Radiologic; D000078329:Workforce