- ws oe - tA . ‘ eT __/- - + “oa o- wr -4 TS Soa oee wt aye ae. =. Lat aay , 7 - - tow Te : . n om -eS ¥ Exposure to External “and: Internal ‘Radiation a ~ 4 o Medical Studies of Marshall Islandersand ‘Study of Radiation vo Project Title: Effects on Intracellulgr Mechanisms |_| _RX-01-9i-(a) 14. Scope: (Cont'd.) studies related to aging, malignancy, reproduction, body burdens, and evalu- | ation of low levels of radionuclides in relation to a slightly contaminated environment. Thyroid patients are returned to the United States for complete hospital and laboratory studies and surgical treatment. Altered function of the lymphocyte occurs: re oo ", rast oo se ne WS nn . fe! is to make use of the virus-enhancing action of the mitogens in the search for a possible virus that might be associated with lymphocytic leukemias. ee a v re ee _ in diseases associated with immunologic deficiency such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia and auto-immune diseases; as the result of radiation exposure; and with the aging process. These conditions are characterized by reduced response of lymphocytes in culture to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), a potent mitogen.” The intracellular changes associated with lymphocyte transformation _by mitogens are poorly understood, particularly at the molecular level. Mitogens from PHA are purified by physico-chemical procedures. The "pure molecules are labeled with tritium and fluorescent tags for study of intracellular localization and mechanism of action, Identification and characterization of the mitogenic determinants of the molecule will be an important long-range ‘objective. ‘Another objective. 15. -, Cc Relationship to Other Projects: Pea ge Rs, The studies of the exposed Marshallese are closely related to the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission's (Dr. Darling) studies in Japan and to the studies of the 23 Japanese fishermen exposed at the Same time as the Marshallese to fallout (Dr. T. Kumatori). . ‘ The lymphocyte studies are related to work reported in budget activities RX-03-01-(b), RX-03-02-(d), RX-01-02, and RX-01-03-(d). -Related studies elsewhere include those of Congdon and his co-workers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on transplantation immunology. Purification of phytohemagglutinin is of interest to Takahashi at the University of Minnesota, Rigas at the University of Oregon Medical School, Goldberg at the University of California, and Yachnin at the University of Chicago. ae oor 16. Technical Progress in FY 1973: The March 1972 survey (18 years after exposure) was interrupted before complg@gion by local Micronesian politicians. Upon request of the Congress of C M&€ronesia, however, the survey was completed in September, During this survéig,;. leukopenia was observed in a 19 year old boy and two additional cases of thyroid nodularity were detected. In the U.S, acute myelogenous leukemia was diagnosed in the boy who died while under treatment. The two individuals with thyroid nodularity were operated on revealing a papillary carcinoma in the 19-year-old girl (the first case among the children receiving only 69 rad of whole-body radiation, about 500 rad to the thyroid including radioiodines) and benign adenomas in the 29-year-old female exposed to 175 rad (thyroid dose of about 500 rad including radioiodines). Growth in these girls had been (See Continuation Sheet) EL T4tbb RX-6 ee