title: Effects of electromagnetic radiation exposure on bone mineral density, thyroid, and oxidative stress index in electrical workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the literature, some articles report that the incidence of numerous diseases increases among the individuals who live around high-voltage electric transmission lines (HVETL) or are exposed vocationally. However, it was not investigated whether HVETL affect bone metabolism, oxidative stress, and the prevalence of thyroid nodule.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) bone density measurements, serum free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), RANK, RANKL, osteoprotegerin (OPG), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), phosphor, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) levels were analyzed to investigate this effect.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bone mineral density levels of L1-L4 vertebrae and femur were observed significantly lower in the electrical workers. ALP, phosphor, RANK, RANKL, TOS, OSI, and anteroposterior diameter of the left thyroid lobe levels were significantly higher, and OPG, TAS, and FT4 levels were detected significantly lower in the study group when compared with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consequently, it was observed that the balance between construction and destruction in the bone metabolism of the electrical workers who were employed in HVETL replaced toward destruction and led to a decrease in OPG levels and an increase in RANK and RANKL levels. In line with the previous studies, long-term exposure to an electromagnetic field causes disorders in many organs and systems. Thus, it is considered that long-term exposure to an electromagnetic field affects bone and thyroid metabolism and also increases OSI by increasing the TOS and decreasing the antioxidant status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Science Education, Faculty of Education, Dumlupınar University, Kütahya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Halil
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kunt
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: İhsan
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Şentürk
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yücel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gönül
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dumlupınar University, Kütahya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Arts, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ömer
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Hazman
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bal
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdurrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Genç
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Songur
keywords: RANK; RANKL; bone mineral density; electrical workers; electromagnetic radiation; thyroid