12
Table 6.
Hematocrits
Rongelap
Ailingnae
|
Male
Male
Female
Male
Male
Female
Postexposure day
<15
>15
all ages
<15
>15
all ages
22
26
3Q
33
37.5
36.3
37.9
37.4
43.9
41.6
42.2
42.2
39.0
37.5
37.1
36.8
37.5
36.5
36.0
35.5
43.7
43.2
44.6
43.8
39,2
|
36.8
|
36.7
37.3
|
43
37.3
41.8
37.6
36.0
45.2
36.8
39
47
6-Mo. survey
1-Yr. survey
2-Yr. survey
Majuro controls
2-Yr. controls
37.8
39.0
38.0
37.5
42.4
43.4
41.7
38.3
35.0
-
45.6
37.4
1
46.5
40.2
37.3
|
36.2
i
38.2
37.5
41.1
36.9
33.0
44.6
46.0
39.9
39.6
46.0
39.9
|
39.8
38.9
42.1
39.8
1
38.7
41.2
38.9
42.1
39.6
37.4
|
38.1
35.7
40.1
44.4
37.5
The mean absolute lymphocyte level was slightly increased over the one-year
level, However, the mean level was still somewhat below the mean control level
(75 to 80 percent) in both age groups in the Rongelap and Ailingnae people (Tables 4
and 5). In the exposed groups, six people had lymphocyte counts of 1500-or below;
none in the control group were this low. Five of the six had also shown low counts at
one year and before, The cumulative curves in Figure 11 show the progressive
changes in absolute lymphocytes at different postirradiation times compared with the
Majuro controls.
Monocytes in both exposed groups showed an increase over the one-year level
and were about equal to the two-year Rita control level, but were somewhat below that
of the Majuro controls,
Eosinophiles showed an increase over the one-year level in both groups and were
slightly above the Majuro control level, but slightly below the two-year Rita control
level in the Rongelap group. A considerable number of individuals in both the exposed
and control groups showed eosinophilia. Since it was thought that parasitic infestation
might have been responsible, stool examinations on 10 Rongelap people with high
eosinophile counts were done, but no ova or parasites were found. The eosinophilia
might have been due to trichinosis or some obscure cause.
Platelets. The mean platelet level in the Rongelap males showed a slight increase
over the one-year level, but in the females it showed a slight decrease (Table 4) so
that the mean of the combined groups was about the same as at one year (Figure 12).
The cumulative distribution curves of platelets for the Rongelap group (Figure 13)
showed little difference at one and two years, whereas the difference between six
months and one year was readily apparent. The less-exposed Ailingnae group showed
no increase in the mean platelet level at two years compared to one year except for
the younger males (Table 5). In both exposed groups, the platelet levels were between
70 and 85 percent of the control levels, depending on which control group was used for
comparison, At this examination, there were four individuals with platelet counts below 150,000; the lowest count was 68,000. Three of the four had previously shown low
counts. Only one controlindividual of allcontrol groups had a platelet count below 150,000.