3. Bone Marrow
Although bone marrow examinations at 6 |
months post exposure showed no gross abnormalities, smears on four exposed Rongelap people 10
years later showed alteration in the myeloiderythroid ratio in three of them, manifested by an
increased numberofred cell precursors. In additon to hyperplasia, the findings included abnormalities of chromatin material with double nuclei
and an increased numberof mitotic figures in the
normoblastic series (see Figures 14 and 15).1! Oc-
casionally, bilobed lymphocytes have been noted
in the peripheral blood of some exposed people.
4. Other Hematological Findings
Total blood volume andred cell volume were
studied 10 years after exposure.11* No differences
were found between exposed and unexposed Ron-
gelap groups, but it was noted that blood volume
and red cell volume tended to be reduced in many
Marshallese compared with Americans?® (see Fig-
ure 16).12 Several other hematological observa-
trons, not related to radiation exposure, were noted.
Eosinophilia >5% in more than half the people
has been a consistent finding. This could be accountedfor only partly on the basis of intestinal
parasitism and maybe related also to numerous
fungus infections of the skin and other chronic infections. Other findings possibly related to chronic
infections are above-normal sedimentation rates
and high gammaglobulin levels (both tending to
increase with age). Varying degrees of anemia
have beenseen occasionally, particularly in wo-* These studies were done by Dr. L.M. Meyer, Veterans Ad-
ministration Hospital, Brooklyn, N.Y., and Dr. W.E. Siri, Uni-
versity of California at Berkeley.
T
T
TT
Regression lines
T
T—
Siri { BS = 0.91 +.0.090 (TBW)
RCV =0.08 +0.0474 (TBW)
Nv
BY =0.647+0.115(TBW)
:
foore | RCV . =0.158
+0.05296 (TBW)
Marshall
BY =0.5337+0.0767(TBW)
ATS NESE ( RCV= —0.1749 +0.0441(TBW)
Caucasians { BV =1.2101 +0.0792 (TBW)
in Pacific
RCV =0.19947 +0.0419 (TBW),
7
oe
Volume,liters
mulative percentage of neutrophils, lymphocytes,
and platelets at various times. From these datait
appears that hemopoietic recoveryin the exposed
groups was incomplete during the first 15 years
after exposure. Since that time the levels in the exposed group have been about the sameasin the
unexposed group. On the basis of RBC, hematocrit, and hemoglobin determinations, erythropoietic function has been about the sametn the exposed andin the comparison population. The lag
in recovery of leukocytes and platelets may represent residual bone marrow injury. The results of
bone marrowand chromosomestudies and the developmentof a case of leukemia tend to support
this contention.
a
5r
=4
4f
4
3
4
9
=
_
tr
”
0
Total body water,liters
60
Figure 16.
men of childbearing age. Price Jones sizing of red
cells in these cases showed a slight microcytic tendency.§ Iron deficiency apparently was not the cause
since serum iron usually was in the normal range.®
Reticulocyte counts have not beensignificantly
increased in either the exposed or unexposed population. Macrocytic anemia has not been seen.
Vitamin B,2 levels have been unusually high in
the Marshallese®; the cause of this is unknown but
does not appearto be related to liver disease or
leukemia. Thesickling trait has not been seen in
the Marshallese examined.
D. SUBSEQUENT COURSE OF SKIN LESIONS
The residualskin lesions noted in the Rongelap
and Ailingnae people since the initial lesions are
listed in Table 13. During the first year many of
the healed areas, particularly on the back of the
neck, showed a roughening (rugosity).and bluishblack pigmentation, which becameless noticeable
with time (see Figures 17 and 18). Deeperlesions
exhibited early residual scarring and lack of pig-