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Title: Thyroid nodularity and chromosome aberrations among women in areas of high background radiation in China

Abstract

Thyroid nodularity following continuous low-dose radiation exposure in China was determined in 1,001 women aged 50-65 years who resided in areas of high background radiation (330 mR/yr) their entire lives, and in 1,005 comparison subjects exposed to normal levels of radiation (114 mR/yr). Cumulative doses to the thyroid were estimated to be of the order of 14 cGy and 5 cGy, respectively. Personal interviews and physical examinations were conducted, and measurements were made of serum thyroid hormone levels, urinary iodine concentrations, and chromosome aberrations in circulating lymphocytes. For all nodular disease, the prevalences in the high background and control areas were 9.5% and 9.3%, respectively. For single nodules, the prevalences were 7.4% in the high background area and 6.6% in the control area (prevalence ratio = 1.13; 95% confidence interval = 0.82-1.55). There were no differences found in serum levels of thyroid hormones. Women in the high background region, however, had significantly lower concentrations of urinary iodine and significantly higher frequencies of stable and unstable chromosome aberrations. Increased intake of allium vegetables such as garlic and onions was associated with a decreased risk of nodular disease, which seems consistent with experimental studies suggesting that allium compounds can inhibit tumor growthmore » and proliferation. The prevalence of mild diffuse goiter was higher in the high background radiation region, perhaps related to a low dietary intake of iodine. These data suggest that continuous exposure to low-level radiation throughout life is unlikely to appreciably increase the risk of thyroid cancer. However, such exposure may cause chromosomal damage.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. Ministry of Public Health, Beijing (China)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
6968004
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
JNCI, Journal of the National Cancer Institute; (USA)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 82:6; Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8874
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS; RADIOINDUCTION; NEOPLASMS; THYROID; RADIATION DOSES; BACKGROUND RADIATION; CHINA; CHRONIC EXPOSURE; IONIZING RADIATIONS; LYMPHOCYTES; THYROID HORMONES; WOMEN; ANIMAL CELLS; ANIMALS; ASIA; BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS; BLOOD; BLOOD CELLS; BODY; BODY FLUIDS; CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS; DISEASES; DOSES; ENDOCRINE GLANDS; FEMALES; GLANDS; HORMONES; LEUKOCYTES; MAMMALS; MAN; MATERIALS; MUTATIONS; ORGANS; PEPTIDE HORMONES; PRIMATES; RADIATIONS; SOMATIC CELLS; VERTEBRATES; 560151* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Man; 560161 - Radionuclide Effects, Kinetics, & Toxicology- Man

Citation Formats

Wang, Z Y, Boice, Jr, J D, Wei, L X, Beebe, G W, Zha, Y R, Kaplan, M M, Tao, Z F, Maxon, III, H R, Zhang, S Z, and Schneider, A B. Thyroid nodularity and chromosome aberrations among women in areas of high background radiation in China. United States: N. p., 1990. Web. doi:10.1093/jnci/82.6.478.
Wang, Z Y, Boice, Jr, J D, Wei, L X, Beebe, G W, Zha, Y R, Kaplan, M M, Tao, Z F, Maxon, III, H R, Zhang, S Z, & Schneider, A B. Thyroid nodularity and chromosome aberrations among women in areas of high background radiation in China. United States. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/82.6.478
Wang, Z Y, Boice, Jr, J D, Wei, L X, Beebe, G W, Zha, Y R, Kaplan, M M, Tao, Z F, Maxon, III, H R, Zhang, S Z, and Schneider, A B. 1990. "Thyroid nodularity and chromosome aberrations among women in areas of high background radiation in China". United States. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/82.6.478.
@article{osti_6968004,
title = {Thyroid nodularity and chromosome aberrations among women in areas of high background radiation in China},
author = {Wang, Z Y and Boice, Jr, J D and Wei, L X and Beebe, G W and Zha, Y R and Kaplan, M M and Tao, Z F and Maxon, III, H R and Zhang, S Z and Schneider, A B},
abstractNote = {Thyroid nodularity following continuous low-dose radiation exposure in China was determined in 1,001 women aged 50-65 years who resided in areas of high background radiation (330 mR/yr) their entire lives, and in 1,005 comparison subjects exposed to normal levels of radiation (114 mR/yr). Cumulative doses to the thyroid were estimated to be of the order of 14 cGy and 5 cGy, respectively. Personal interviews and physical examinations were conducted, and measurements were made of serum thyroid hormone levels, urinary iodine concentrations, and chromosome aberrations in circulating lymphocytes. For all nodular disease, the prevalences in the high background and control areas were 9.5% and 9.3%, respectively. For single nodules, the prevalences were 7.4% in the high background area and 6.6% in the control area (prevalence ratio = 1.13; 95% confidence interval = 0.82-1.55). There were no differences found in serum levels of thyroid hormones. Women in the high background region, however, had significantly lower concentrations of urinary iodine and significantly higher frequencies of stable and unstable chromosome aberrations. Increased intake of allium vegetables such as garlic and onions was associated with a decreased risk of nodular disease, which seems consistent with experimental studies suggesting that allium compounds can inhibit tumor growth and proliferation. The prevalence of mild diffuse goiter was higher in the high background radiation region, perhaps related to a low dietary intake of iodine. These data suggest that continuous exposure to low-level radiation throughout life is unlikely to appreciably increase the risk of thyroid cancer. However, such exposure may cause chromosomal damage.},
doi = {10.1093/jnci/82.6.478},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6968004}, journal = {JNCI, Journal of the National Cancer Institute; (USA)},
issn = {0027-8874},
number = ,
volume = 82:6,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Mar 21 00:00:00 EST 1990},
month = {Wed Mar 21 00:00:00 EST 1990}
}