Objective: To assess the relationship between the age at which a person undergoes radiation exposure and risk of developing eye lesions (case study of the retinal angiopathy prevalence).
Materials and methods: The object of the study was the state of the retinal vessels in 2,531 persons (1,948 evacuated from the city of Pripyat under the age of 20 and 583 exposed to radiation in utero as a result of the Chernobyl NPP disaster. The results of standardized ophthalmic examination conducted from 1993 to 2000 within the framework of Clinical and epidemiological registry are used for the analysis. The evacuees were subdivided into different age groups of the exposed to radiation. The cohort of control group formed corresponding age groups of the unirradiated control. Statistical analysis of the survey results was carried out using the free trial version of «Open Epi 2.2.1» software package.
Results: The results obtained revealed a significant prevalence of retinal vessels pathology in all groups. The difference in angiopathy prevalence in exposed in utero persons was significant compared to age-control. The prevalence of retinal vascular pathology was also significantly higher in all groups of evacuees. Angiopathy prevalence was higher in the group exposed in utero and at the age of 8-12 years, and in the group of people who were exposed at the age of 4-7 years, the risk of angiopathy was lower.
Conclusion: It is proved that the occurrence of distant radiation effects mainly depends on the age at which a person has undergone irradiation. It should be noted that all the other conditions were approximately the same. If working conditions of the persons who were exposed in utero or were aged 8 to 20 years when the Chernobyl disaster happened are connected with occupational radiation exposure it is necessary to take additional preventive measures.
Meta. Otsinyty vzaiemozv`iazok mizh vikom, v iakomu liudyna zaznaie radiatsiinogo vplyvu, i ryzykom rozvytku patologichnykh zmin oka (na prykladi poshyrenosti angiopatii sitkivky).Materialy i metody. Ob’iektom doslidzhennia buv stan sudyn sitkivky 2531 osoby (1948 evakuiovanykh z m. Pryp'iati u vitsi do 20 rokiv i 583 oprominenykh vnutrishn'outrobno vnaslidok Chornobyl's'koi katastrofy). Vykorystano rezul'taty standartyzovanykh oftal'mologichnykh obstezhen', provedenykh z 1993 po 2000 roky v mezhakh programy kliniko-epidemiologichnogo reiestru. Sered evakuiovanykh vydileno rizni vikovi grupy oprominenykh. Z masyvu kontrol'noi grupy sformovano vidpovidni za vikom grupy neoprominenogo kontroliu.Statystychnu obrobku rezul'tativ doslidzhennia provodyly z vykorystanniam probnoi vil'noi versii paketu program «Open Epi 2.2.1».Rezul'taty. V usikh grupakh vyiavleno znachnu poshyrenist' patologii sudyn sitkivky. Riznytsia v poshyrenosti angiopatii dlia oprominenykh in utero v porivnianni z vikovym kontrolem bula dostovirnoiu. Dostovirno vyshchoiu bula poshyrenist' sudynnoi patologii sitkivky i v usikh grupakh evakuiovanykh. Poshyrenist' angiopatii bula vyshchoiu v grupi oprominenykh in utero i u vitsi 8–12 rokiv, a v grupi osib, oprominenykh u vitsi 4–7 rokiv, ryzyk naiavnosti angiopatii buv nyzhchym. Vysnovky. Pokazano, shcho poiava viddalenykh radiatsiinykh efektiv zalezhyt', za inshykh pryblyzno rivnykh umov, vid viku, v iakomu liudyna zaznala oprominennia. Za uchasti v robotakh v umovakh profesiinogo radiatsiinogo vplyvu osib, iaki vnaslidok Chornobyl's'koi katastrofy buly opromineni vnutrishn'outrobno abo u vitsi vid 8 do 20 rokiv, neobkhidno vzhyty dodatkovykh profilaktychnykh zakhodiv.
Keywords: ionizing radiation; persons exposed in utero and in childhood and adolescence; retinal angiopathy; the ChNPP accident.
P. А. Fedirko, T. F. Babenko, R. Yu. Dorichevska, N. А. Garkava.