Problems of Radiation Medicine and Radiobiology

Fedirko P. А., Babenko T. F., Dorichevska R. Yu., Garkava N. А.

Retinal vascular pathology risk development in the irradiated at different ages as a result of Chernobyl NPP accident

Objective: To assess the relationship between the age at which a person undergoes radiation exposure and risk of developing eye lesions (case study of the retinal angiopathy prevalence).
Materials and methods. The object of the study was the state of the retinal vessels in 2,531 persons (1,948 evacuated from the city of Pripyat under the age of 20 and 583 exposed to radiation in utero as a result of the Chernobyl NPP disaster. The results of standardized ophthalmic examination conducted from 1993 to 2000 within the framework of Clinical and epidemiological registry are used for the analysis. The evacuees were subdivided into different age groups of the exposed to radiation. The cohort of control group formed corresponding age groups of the unirradiated control. Statistical analysis of the survey results was carried out using the free trial version of "Open Epi 2.2.1" software package.
Results. The results obtained revealed a significant prevalence of retinal vessels pathology in all groups.
The difference in angiopathy prevalence in exposed in utero persons was significant compared to age-control. The prevalence of retinal vascular pathology was also significantly higher in all groups of evacuees. Angiopathy prevalence was higher in the group exposed in utero and at the age of 8–12 years, and in the group of people who were exposed at the age of 4-7 years, the risk of angiopathy was lower.
Conclusion. It is proved that the occurrence of distant radiation effects mainly depends on the age at which a person has undergone irradiation. It should be noted that all the other conditions were approximately the same. If working conditions of the persons who were exposed in utero or were aged 8 to 20 years when the Chernobyl disaster happened are connected with occupational radiation exposure it is necessary to take additional preventive measures.

Key words: ionizing radiation, persons exposed in utero and in childhood and adolescence, the ChNPP accident, retinal angiopathy.

Problems of radiation medicine and radiobiology. 2015;20:467-573.