Six-year Observation of Immune State of Persons Affected by the Chernobyl Accident

The results of immunological monitoring, immuno-epidemiological investigations and analysis of medical documentation carried out in two Bryansk Region Territories situated in the isoline of radioactive contamination (55.5 x 1010 to 148 x 1010 Bq.km-2) with tested populations of 3892 and 1074 persons respectively, are presented. An immunodeficiency risk group and the distribution of various chronic diseases in the tested territories were discovered to be considerably larger than in the regions of comparison and in cities of the Russian and Ukrainian non-background zone. The immune state of 'dirty' Vyshkov settlement inhabitants as compared to one of the 'clean' Pochep population was characterised by CD4+ and CD5+ activation, increase of CD4+/CD8+ value and phagocytosis rate in the presence of serum IgG and IgM deficit. Novozybkov city inhabitants were found to have increased T supressor/killer rate. The highest CD4+, CD5+, CD4=/CD8+ rate values were found to occur against the background of clinical symptoms which could be attributed to radiation impact: loss of hair and teeth, surplus weight, predisposition to bleeding, especially noticed among cattle breeders.