Problems of Radiation Medicine and Radiobiology

Analysis of risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in clean-up workers of the Chornobyl accident

V. O. Sushko, L. I. Shvaiko, K. D. Bazyka
State Institution “National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Melnykov str., 53, Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine

Objective. To analyze the effects of ionizing exposure, age and smoking on the development of chronic non-specific lung disease in a cohort of liquidators of the Chornobyl consequences included in the Clinical and Epidemiological Registry SI “National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”.
Materials and methods. The analysis included data on 7156 of the Chornobyl liquidators, of which 6 257 (87.4 %) men and 899 (12.6 %) women who were examined between 1993 and 2010 by pulmonologist.
Results. Chronic bronchopulmonary diseases were detected in 50.0 % of the surveyed persons. The overall exposure dose was significantly higher among liquidators, which developed bronchopulmonary diseases (24.29 ± 0.82 sSv) compared with those without bronchopulmonary disease (14.58 ± 0.62 sSv), p = 0.001. In smokers the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was twice higher than in those who did not smoke (10.2 and 5.16 %, respectively, p = 0.0001).
Conclusion. The negative effect of ionizing radiation amplified by other risk factors for chronic bronchopulmonary disease: association between exposure doses and somatic pathology manifested in the surveyed people over the age of 45 years; at the same exposure dose risk of bronchopulmonary diseases was higher for smokers.

Key words: Chornobyl NPP accident, inhalation impact of radionuclide, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, risk factors, ionizing exposure.

Problems of radiation medicine and radiobiology. 2014;19:345-351.