trip, the vessel carrying him capsized and he

tinueto follow the trendsof earlier years (Figure

Comparison

basophil counts of the Rongelap, Ailingnae,
and Utirik groups remain within a few percent
of control values (Table 1). Occasionally macro-

was drowned.

Subject No. 1575. This lady died in 1984 at
age 78. Her last examination was in March 1981
at which time two thyroid nodules were observed. These were first noted in 1978, but
surgery was not performed because of “her age
and general senile state.”” Nevertheless, no
serious health problems had been identified and
the cause of death is unknown.
Subject No. 1005. In 1982, at age 49, this
man’s examination revealed no serious medical
problems. He had a chronic complaint of shortness of breath. There was a 60-pack-yearhistory
of cigarette smoking, but a chest x ray in 1981

had been normal. In 1983 the diagnosisof lung
cancer with metastases was madeat the Majuro
hospital. He died in January 1984.

2). Mean hemoglobin levels and monocyte and.

cytosis is seen. It occurs in all groups and is

generally borderline in degree. The only person with a clear-cut elevation (MCV of 109 fl)in 1983
was an exposed 72-year-old Rongelap woman.
There was concern when a similar value was
obtainedon herin 1984. It was then learned that
prescribed vitamin Biz had not been started. A
follow-up MCV wasfound to be 98fl. Despite the
diagnosis of possible or probable vitamin Biz
deficiency among Marshallese, intrinsic factor
antibodies haveyet to be detected. Facilities are
not satisfactory for performing Schillingtests,
and thus the diagnosis of pernicious anemia
remains to be established.

Hematology
No malignant hematologic disease was
diagnosed in 1983-84 in either the exposed or the
unexposed populations. Mean values for
neutrophils, lymphocytes, and platelets con-

Hepatitis B Serological
Survey

The prevalence of hepatitis B is knownto be
high in Asia and the Western Pacific. For

Table 1
Hemoglobin Concentration, Monocyte Counts, and Basophil Counts
Rongelap
Hemoglobin
(g/dl)

(M)
(F)

15.2 + 1.5%
13.6 +1.4

Ailingnae
1983
14.9 +09
13.7 +0.4

Utirik

Comparison

15.7 41.2
13.38 41.5

15.3 +1.8
13.5 +1.1

Monocytes/ l

322 + 148

377 + 255

316 + 163

340 +179

Basophils/,l

19 + 37

7 + 20

19 +41

27 + 49

14.6 +1.5
13.5 + 0.7

1984
14.0 + 1.0
12.9 +0.7

Monocytes/ul

290 + 143

234 + 149

315 + 157

285 +151

Basophils/,l

20 + 43

20 + 34

16 + 38

18 + 39

Hemoglobin
(g/dl)

(M)
(F)

* One standard deviation.

15.7 +1.1
13.4 +1.1

—-:16.0 £1.83
13.5 + 1.2

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