42
of the reacting antigen was under genetic control.
Individuals with a dominant gene designated Ag*
in single or double dose (genotypes 4g*/4g*,
Ag*/Ag) were reactors [phenotype Ag(a+)] and

those homozygous for the recessive allele Ag non-

reactors [Ag(a — }|. The antigen or antigens that
react with the antibodies present in the serum of

the frequently transfused patient are serum low

density 8-lipoproteins.'’ A serum from a second
patient (I.M.), the New York antiserum, was also

found to react with a low density 8-lipoprotein.

Preliminary family studies indicated that reactors
were homozygous or heterozygousfor a second
gene, while nonreactors were homozygousfor the
alternate recessive allele. Immunologic, genetic,
and population studies showed that thelipoproteins
selected by the two antisera were antigenically
distinct and controlled by different genes.'*

exposed and unexposed of ages <15 and >15

years, living on Rongelap, Ebeye, and Utirik.
Sr°° urine levels for 1963 and 1964 have not increased over the 1962 levels. In 1962, the mean

Sr®° values from the individual adult 24-hr samples were 12.45 pC/I or 114 pC/g Ca. From these
values, on the basis of previous calculations.* '°
the body burden was estimated as 12.0 muC for
adults and 28.4 muCfor children. On the same
basis, the estimates for 1963 body burden levels

of Sr®* are 11.3 muC (adults) and 21.8 muC
(children); and for 1964, 10.7 muC (adults) and
23.1 muC (children). As shown in Table 23, the
levels of both Cs'*” and Sr*° are lower for the
people living on the uncontaminated island Ebeye
at Kwajalein Atoll.

Thus the return of the Rongelap people to their

total results compared with those on several other

homeisland was reflected in annual increases to
1962 in estimated body burdens of Sr®° based on
urinary excretion values. The annual estimates in
myuC for adults were as follows: 2.0 in 1958; 6.0 in
1959; 6.9 in 1961; 12.0 in 1962; 11.3 in 1963; and

much higher frequency of C.deB. antiserum reactors and a muchlowerfrequency of New York

5 to 6% (adults) to about 10% (children) of the
maximum permissible concentration (MPC) of

“Sera collected from the inhabitants of Rongelap

Atoll in 1962 were tested with both the C.deB.
(anti-Ag(a+)| and the New York antisera. The

populations are shown in Table 22. There is a

10.7 in 1964. The present body burdens are about

antiserum reactors in the Rongelap population

Sr** (200 muC)for non-industrial populations.It

on differences in past or present selective forces

the people living on Rongelap Island, and the
previously estimated equilibrium value of 23 muC

than in U.S. whites and Negroes. The reasons for
these differences are not known, but may depend

which affect the balance of the polymorphisms.
“Because of the lower frequency of New York

antiserum reactors, the Rongelap population was
useful for family studies. From these studies it was
tentatively concluded that reactors with the New
York antiserum were either homozygousor heterozy gous for a dormant gene, and nonreactors were
homozygous for its alternateallele.”
Radiochemical Analyses of the Urine. Determinations of body burdens of gamma emitting

isotopes (principally Cs'*’ and Zn**) by wholebody gammaspectroscopy were not done during

the past two surveys. Data in 1961, by that tech-

nique, indicated that the body burdensof Cs'*’

were notsignificantly different from those of two
years before, and Zn®levels had dropped bya
factor of about 10. It was decided, therefore, to

defer whole-body counts until the 1965 survey.
Results of radiochemical urine analyses for Cs'**
and Sr? on 38 urine samples for 1963 and 27 samples for 1964 are presented in Tables 23 and 24.
The data are divided into the following groups:

appears now that equilibrium with the environmental contamination of Sr*° has been reached in
will not be reached.
No bone samples were obtained from autopsy
material during the past two years for Sr®* anal-

ysis. Estimates of body burdens from previous
analyses of bone samples had shownfairly good

correlation with those obtained from urine analyses.
In view of the paucity of the previous data on

Cs'37 urinary levels, it is difficult to interpret the

present levels in terms of body burden. However,
the levels are generally less than the mean 1958
Cs'3* urinary level of about 4 nC/I. This is in accord with the finding by gammaspectrographic
determinations that the whole-body burdens of
Cs'37 in 1961 had not increased.
Analyses of three coconut crabs for Sr®° and

Cs}3? are shown in Table 25. Though the levels of
Sr*° (pC/g Ca) are lower thanin the crabs analyzed in 1962, they are still sufficiently high to necessitate continuation of the ban on their consump-

tion by the people of Rongelap.It is interesting that
the Cs'*" levels are also quite high in these crabs.

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