trip, the vessel carrying him capsized and he
was drowned.
Comparison
Subject No. 1575. This lady died in 1984 at
age 78. Her last examination wasin 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 hadbeen 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 complaintof short-
nessof breath. There was a 60-pack-yearhistory
of cigarette smoking, but a chest x ray in 1981
had been normal. In 1983 the diagnosis of lung
cancer with metastases was madeat the Majuro
hospital. He died in January 1984.
tinue to follow the trendsof earlier years (Figure
2). Mean hemoglobin levels and monocyte and
basophil counts of the Rongelap, Ailingnae,
and Utirik groups remain within a few percent
of control values (Table 1). Occasionally macrocytosis 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
obtained on her in 1984. It was then learned that
prescribed vitamin Bz had not been started. A
follow-up MCV wasfound to be 98 fl. Despite the
diagnosis of possible or probable vitamin B:z
deficiency among Marshallese, intrinsic factor
antibodies haveyet to be detected. Facilities are
not satisfactory for performing Schilling tests,
and thus the diagnosis of pernicious anemia
remainsto be established.
Hematology
No malignant hematologic disease was
diagnosedin 1983-84 in either the exposed orthe
unexposed populations. Mean values for
neutrophils, lymphocytes, and platelets con-
Hepatitis B Serological
Survey
The prevalence of hepatitis B is known to be
high in Asia and the Western Pacific. For
Table 1
Hemoglobin Concentration, Monocyte Counts, and Basophil Counts
Rongelap
Ailingnae
Utinik
Comparison
15.2 + 1.5*
13.6 + 1.4
1983
14.9 + 0.9
13.7 + 0.4
15.7 £1.2
13.3 +1.5
15.3 £1.3
13.5 + 1.1
Monocytes/ ul
322 + 148
377 + 255
316 + 163
340 +179
Basophils/zl
19 + 37
19 + 41
27 + 49
15.7 + 1.1
13.4 + 1.1
15.0 + 1.3
13.5 +1.2
Hemoglobin
(g/dl)
Hemoglobin
(g/dl)
(M)
(F)
(M)
(F)
146 +1.5
13.5 + 0.7
7 + 20
1984
14.0 + 1.0
12.9 + 0.7
Monocytes/l
290 + 143
934 +149
315 + 157
285 + 151
Basophils/yl
20 + 43
20 + 34
16 + 38
18 +39
* One standard deviation.