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The mean level of the lympho-
cyte counts (Table 21 and Figure 33) in 1959
showed a slight increase over the 1958 values. The
meanlevels were about the same in the exposed
and unexposed populations. A scattergram(Figure
36) of the age distribuuon of the lymphocyte
counts in the exposed group for the first tume
showed about an equal distribuuonin the exposed
population of counts above and below the mean
levels of the unexposed people. The cumulative
percentage distribution curves of the exposed and
unexposed (Figure 37) showed close approximation. The 1960 absolute lymphocyte counts also
showed a decrease corresponding to the WBCdecrease, the mean dropping from 4000 in 1959 to
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AGE ( YR}
Figure 39. Individual platelet counts of exposed maies
plotted against age, 1959. Solid line represents meanievel
of comparison male population.
2700 in 1960.
Eosinophils and Monocytes.
Evsinophil and
monocyte counts showed slight increase in [959
over the 1958 levels and were slightly greater in
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the exposed population. As noted in 1958, a large
percentage of the population had eosinophil
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counts >5% of the total white count (1959, 44% of
exposed population and 39%of unexposed; 1960,
46% of exposed, no data on unexposed). The levels
of eosinophils and monocytes in 1960 were not
very different from the 1959 levels. ( Basophils are
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Figure 40. [Individual platelet counts of exposed females
plotted against age, 1959. Solid line represents meanlevel
of comparison female population.
CUMULATIVE PERCENT
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Figure 41 Cumulative distribution curve,
Rongelap platelets, 1959.
{
Platelets. Mean platelet counts in 1959 (Table
21 and Figure 38) were slightly tower than in 1958
in both the exposed and unexposed populations.
The mean deficit in platelets in the exposed population was about the sameas last year ( — 9.3% for
the males and — 11.3% for the females). Age distribution scattergramsfor the individual platelet
counts in both males and females of the exposed
population showed more counts below than above
the unexposed mean curve ( Figures 39 and 40).
This was also borne out by comparison of the
cumulative percentage distribution curves for the
exposed and unexposed populations: the latter
showed continued displacement to the left ( Figure
41). The significance of the continued platelet depression in the exposed population ts also indicated by the finding oflevels < 250,000 in 37% of
the exposed group but in only 24% of the unexposed.
Erythropoetic Function.
Because of technical
difficulties, the hematocrit levels were not considered reliable for the 1959 survey. Samples containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid as an
anticoagulant appeared to have a lower hematocrit than untreated venousor fingerstick blood.
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55