Incidence of leukemia in survivors of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan

Folley, Jarrett H.; Borges, Wayne H.; Yamawaki, Takuso

doi:10.1016/0002-9343(52)90285-4

Cited by 229 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…1 Studies of other moderately or highly exposed groups have confirmed that leukaemia is particularly sensitive to induction by ionizing radiation; those exposed at young ages are especially at risk. 2,3 Exposure to ionizing radiation at moderate or high levels, such as during the atomic bombings of Japan or as a result of radiotherapy, remains one of the very few established causes of leukaemia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The proportion of childhood leukaemia incidence in Great Britain that may be caused by natural background ionizing radiation

2009

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The aetiology of childhood leukaemia remains generally unknown, although exposure to moderate and high levels of ionizing radiation, such as those experienced during the atomic bombings of Japan or from radiotherapy, is an established cause. Risk models based primarily on studies of the Japanese atomic bomb survivors imply that low-level exposure to ionizing radiation, including ubiquitous natural background radiation, also raises the risk of childhood leukaemia. Using two sets of recently published leukaemia risk models and estimates of natural background radiation red-bone-marrow doses received by children, about 20% of the cases of childhood leukaemia in Great Britain are predicted to be attributable to this source. However, for one of these sets of risk models this attributable fraction is materially dependent on how the radiation-induced risk is assumed to be transferred between the Japanese atomic bomb survivors and Western children. Over a range of annual doses representing the range (0.5-2.5 mSv/year) experienced by most populations, the attributable proportion for the preferred risk-transfer model varies between 8 and 30%, with small deviations from a linear relationship that are largely due to the saturation of the model, although again this range of attributable fractions depends on the assumed transfer of risk between populations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The proportion of childhood leukaemia incidence in Great Britain that may be caused by natural background ionizing radiation

2009

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“…Radiation-induced leukemia in humans was first reported early in the 20th century (1)(2)(3)(4). Since then, numerous studies of atomic bomb survivors, people working or living near nuclear power plants, radiologists, and radiotherapy patients have shown that certain doses of both acute and fractionated radiation exposure result in a high risk of leukemia and lymphoma (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7). Furthermore, the risk of secondary radiation treatment-related lymphoma and leukemia is a clinical problem (6).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fractionated Low-Dose Radiation Exposure Leads to Accumulation of DNA Damage and Profound Alterations in DNA and Histone Methylation in the Murine Thymus

Pogribny

Koturbash

Tryndyak

et al. 2005

Molecular Cancer Research

149

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Thymus, an important component of hematopoietic tissue, is a well-documented ''target'' of radiation carcinogenesis. Both acute and fractionated irradiation result in a high risk of leukemia and thymic lymphoma. However, the exact mechanisms underlying radiation-induced predisposition to leukemia and lymphoma are still unknown, and the contributions of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms in particular have yet to be defined. Global DNA hypomethylation is a well-known characteristic of cancer cells. Recent studies have also shown that tumor cells undergo prominent changes in histone methylation, particularly a substantial loss of trimethylation of histone H4-Lys 20 and demethylation of genomic DNA. These losses are considered a universal marker of malignant transformation. In the present study, we investigated the effect of low-dose radiation exposure on the accumulation of DNA lesions and alterations of DNA methylation and histone H4-Lys 20 trimethylation in the thymus tissue using an in vivo murine model. For the first time, we show that fractionated whole-body application of 0.5 Gy X-ray leads to decrease in histone H4-Lys 20 trimethylation in the thymus. The loss of histone H4-Lys 20 trimethylation was accompanied by a significant decrease in global DNA methylation as well as the accumulation of DNA damage as monitored by persistence of histone ;H2AX foci in the thymus tissue of mice exposed to fractionated irradiation. Altered DNA methylation was associated with reduced expression of maintenance (DNMT1) and, to a lesser extent, de novo DNA methyltransferase DNMT3a in exposed animals. Expression of another de novo DNA methyltransferase DNMT3b was decreased only in males. Irradiation also resulted in f20% reduction in the levels of methyl-binding proteins MeCP2 and MBD2. Our results show the involvement of epigenetic alterations in radiation-induced responses in vivo. These changes may play a role in genome destabilization that ultimately leads to cancer. (Mol Cancer Res 2005;3(10):553 -61)

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“…The cancer epidemiology of radiation R Wakeford first observed by alert clinicians (Folley et al, 1952) and this was instrumental in the establishment of the Life Span Study (LSS). The Japanese national census of October 1950 allowed the identification of those individuals present in Hiroshima or Nagasaki (or, in a few unfortunate instances, both) during the atomic bombings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…made a detailed analysis of excess risk by leukaemia type making use of the LSS and two large medical studies, and the results of this study will be discussed below. It must be borne in mind that the LSS was only established in 1950, so although there is ample evidence of an excess of leukaemia occurring before this date (Folley et al, 1952) its magnitude cannot be calculated reliably. From other studies, the minimum latency for leukaemia would appear to be about 2 years (UNSCEAR, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The cancer epidemiology of radiation

2004

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Incidence of leukemia in survivors of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan

Cited by 229 publications

References 3 publications

The proportion of childhood leukaemia incidence in Great Britain that may be caused by natural background ionizing radiation

The proportion of childhood leukaemia incidence in Great Britain that may be caused by natural background ionizing radiation

Fractionated Low-Dose Radiation Exposure Leads to Accumulation of DNA Damage and Profound Alterations in DNA and Histone Methylation in the Murine Thymus

The cancer epidemiology of radiation

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