Vol. 164, No. 11
The divisions were as follows: leukocyte counts in
persons under 5 years of age (6 from Rongelap and
2 from Ailingnae) and in persons over 5 (58 from
Rongelap and 16 from Ailingnae); platelet counts in
males under 10 (9 from Rongelap and 2 from Ailingnae), in males over 10 (22 from Rongelap and 5 from
Ailingnae), and in all females (33 from Rongelap and
11 from Ailingnae); and hematocrits in males under 15
(12 frem Rongelap and 2 from Ailingnae), in males
over 15 (19 from Rongelap and 5 from Ailingnae}. and
FALL-OUT RADIATION—CONARD ET AL.
1195
The mean eosinophil levels showed an increase over
the one-year level in both groups and were slightly
above the meanlevel of the Majuro controls, but, in
the Rongelap group, they were slightly belcw the
two-year levels in the Rita controls, 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
in all females (33 from Rongelap and 11 from Ailingnae ).
In both the Rongelap and Ailingnae people, the
mean total leukocyte level and mean absolute neutro-
phil counts, as in the one-vear examinations, were equal
to the control mean levels in both the under-5 and
over-5 age groups (fig. 5). There were some people,
however, who had neutrophil counts slightly below
normal (10 with counts of 2,500 or below per cubic
millimeter in the exposed groups as compared with 2
in the control group). None of the people with these
lower counts had comparably low counts ut the onevear examination, however. which tends to make the
finding less significant. The meanlevel in the exposed
groups was brought up to the contro] level by the
presence of slight neutrophilia in some individuals.
The mean absolute lymphocyte level was slightly
increased over the one-year level. The mean level
was still, however, somewhat below the mean control
level (75-80%) in both age groups in the Rongelap
and Ailingnae people (fig. 5). In the exposed groups,
six people had lymphocyte counts of 1,500 or below
Fig. 4.—Photograph in same patient as in figure 3 two years
after exposure showing that further repigmentation has occurred. There is atrophy and scarring of skin with some adherence to subcutaneous tissues at site of deepest lesion,
between first and second toes of right foot.
eosinophil counts were done, but no ova or parasites
were found. The eosinophilia might be due to trichinosis or some obscure cause.
Fig. 3.—Photograph showing beta-radiation lesions of the
feet in 12-vear-old boy four weeks after exposure. There is a
weeping ulceration between first and second toes of right foot.
Note desquamation of both feet.
per cubic millimeter as compared to none in the control group. Five of the six had shown low counts also
at one year and before. The mean monocyte levels
in both exposed groups shewed an increase over the
one-year level and were about equal to the two-year
levels in the Rita controls but were somewhat below
those in the Majuro ccntrels.
The mean platelet level in the Rongelap males
showed a slight increase over the one-vear level, but
in the females the mean level showed a slight decrease so that the mean of the combined groups was
about the same as at one vear (fig. 5). The less-exposed Ailingnae group showed no increase in the
mean platelet level at two vears compared to that at
one year, except for the vounger males who showed
an increased level. In both exposed groups, the platelet levels were between 70 and 85% of the controls
(depending on which control group was used for
comparison). There were four individuals, all in the
Rongelap group, with platelet counts below 150,000
per cubic millimeter. (The lowest count was 68,000.)
Of the four, three had previously shown low counts.
Only one person in the control groups had a platelet
count of below 150,000 per cubic millimeter. The de-
lay in the return to normal of the lvmphocyte and
platelet levels is similar to that reported in follow-up
studies of Japanese casualties two years after the
atomic bombings.’ In both exposed groups the hematocrit levels were not remarkably different from the
control levels.