Chromosome damage in liver cells from low dose rate alpha, beta, and gamma irradiation: derivation of RBE

Assessing the Impact of Charged Particle Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose: Head and neck adenoid cystic carcinoma (HNACC) is a radioresistant tumor. Particle therapy, primarily proton beam therapy and carbon-ion radiation, is a potential radiotherapy treatment for radioresistant malignancies. This study aims to conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of charged particle radiation therapy on HNACC. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, and Medline until December 31, 2022. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS), local control (LC), and progression-free survival (PFS), while secondary outcomes included treatment-related toxicity. Version 17.0 of STATA was used for all analyses. Results: A total of 14 studies, involving 1297 patients, were included in the analysis. The pooled 5-year OS and PFS rates for primary HNACC were 78% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 66-91%) and 62% (95% CI = 47-77%), respectively. For all patients included, the pooled 2-year and 5-year OS, LC, and PFS rates were as follows: 86.1% (95% CI = 95-100%) and 77% (95% CI = 73-82%), 92% (95% CI = 84-100%) and 73% (95% CI = 61-85%), and 76% (95% CI = 68-84%) and 55% (95% CI = 48-62%), respectively. The rates of grade 3 and above acute toxicity were 22% (95% CI = 13-32%), while late toxicity rates were 8% (95% CI = 3-13%). Conclusions: Particle therapy has the potential to improve treatment outcomes and raise the quality of life for HNACC patients. However, further research and optimization are needed due to the limited availability and cost considerations associated with this treatment modality.

DNA Damage by Radiopharmaceuticals and Mechanisms of Cellular Repair

DNA is an organic molecule that is highly vulnerable to chemical alterations and breaks caused by both internal and external factors. Cells possess complex and advanced mechanisms, including DNA repair, damage tolerance, cell cycle checkpoints, and cell death pathways, which together minimize the potentially harmful effects of DNA damage. However, in cancer cells, the normal DNA damage tolerance and response processes are disrupted or deregulated. This results in increased mutagenesis and genomic instability within the cancer cells, a known driver of cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. On the other hand, the inherent instability of the genome in rapidly dividing cancer cells can be exploited as a tool to kill by imposing DNA damage with radiopharmaceuticals. As the field of targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) is rapidly growing in oncology, it is crucial to have a deep understanding of the impact of systemic radiation delivery by radiopharmaceuticals on the DNA of tumors and healthy tissues. The distribution and activation of DNA damage and repair pathways caused by RPT can be different based on the characteristics of the radioisotope and molecular target. Here we provide a comprehensive discussion of the biological effects of RPTs, with the main focus on the role of varying radioisotopes in inducing direct and indirect DNA damage and activating DNA repair pathways.

How the Science of Radiation Biology Can Help Reduce the Crippling Fear of Low-level Radiation

ABSTRACT

The fear of radiation has been present almost since the discovery of radiation, but has intensified since the "dawn of the atomic age" over 75 y ago. This fear has often served as an impediment to the safe and beneficial uses of radiation and radioactive material. The underlying causes of such fear are varied, can be complex, and are often not associated with any scientific knowledge or understanding. The authors believe that a clear understanding of the current scientific knowledge and understanding of the effects of radiation exposure may be useful in helping to allay some of the fear of radiation. This manuscript attempts to (1) address several scientific questions that we believe have contributed to the fear of radiation, (2) review the data derived from research that can be used to address these questions, and (3) summarize how the results of such scientific research can be used to help address the fear of low-dose and low-dose-rate radiation. Several examples of how fear of radiation has affected public perception of radiological events are discussed, as well as a brief history of the etiology of radiation fear. Actions needed to reduce the public fear of radiation and help fulfill the full societal benefits of radiation and radioactive materials are suggested.

Radiobiology of Select Radionuclides in Hanford Site Tank Waste

There are several important radionuclides involved in the "clean-up" or environmental isolation of nuclear waste contained in US Department of Energy Hanford Site underground waste tanks that drive many of the decisions associated with this activity. To make proper human health risk analyses and ensure that the most appropriate decisions are made, it is important to understand the radiation biology and the human health risk associated with these radionuclides. This manuscript provides some basic radiological science, in particular radiation biology, for some of these radionuclides, i.e., 3 H, 90 Sr, 137 Cs, 99 Tc, 129 I, and the alpha emitters 239, 240 Pu, 233,234,235,238 U, and 241 Am. These radionuclides were selected based on their designation as "constituents of potential concern," historical significance, or potential impact on human health risk. In addition to the radiobiology of these select radionuclides, this manuscript provides brief discussions of the estimated cost of planned management of Hanford tank waste and a comparison with releases into the Techa River from activities associated with the Mayak Production Association. A set of summary conclusions of the potential human health risks associated with these radionuclides is given.

Biological effectiveness and relative biological effectiveness of ion beams for in-vitro cell irradiation

Biological effectiveness and relative biological effectiveness are critical for proton and ion beam radiotherapy. However, the relationship between the two quantities and physical character of ion beams is not well established. By analyzing 1188 sets of in‐vitro cell irradiation experiments using ion beams ranging from protons to ²³⁸U, compiled by the Particle Irradiation Data Ensemble (PIDE) project, the biological effectiveness of the ion beams, with cell survival fractionation (SF) as the endpoint, was found to be dependent on the fluence and linear energy transfer (LET) of the ion beam. Consequently, the relative biological effectiveness of the ion beam to photon beam was also established as a function of LET. A common form of relationship among SF, fluence, and LET was found to be valid for all ion beam experiments. The close form relationship could be used for proton and ion beam radiotherapy applications.

Comparing the efficacy of γ- and electron-irradiation of PBMCs to promote secretion of paracrine, regenerative factors

Cell-free secretomes represent a promising new therapeutic avenue in regenerative medicine, and γ-irradiation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) has been shown to promote the release of paracrine factors with high regenerative potential. Recently, the use of alternative irradiation sources, such as artificially generated β- or electron-irradiation, is encouraged by authorities. Since the effect of the less hazardous electron-radiation on the production and functions of paracrine factors has not been tested so far, we compared the effects of γ- and electron-irradiation on PBMCs and determined the efficacy of both radiation sources for producing regenerative secretomes. Exposure to 60 Gy γ-rays from a radioactive nuclide and 60 Gy electron-irradiation provided by a linear accelerator comparably induced cell death and DNA damage. The transcriptional landscapes of PBMCs exposed to either radiation source shared a high degree of similarity. Secretion patterns of proteins, lipids, and extracellular vesicles displayed similar profiles after γ- and electron-irradiation. Lastly, we detected comparable biological activities in functional assays reflecting the regenerative potential of the secretomes. Taken together, we were able to demonstrate that electron-irradiation is an effective, alternative radiation source for producing therapeutic, cell-free secretomes. Our study paves the way for future clinical trials employing secretomes generated with electron-irradiation in tissue-regenerative medicine.

Measurement of the gross alpha activity of the fine fractions of road dust and near-roadway ambient particle matter

Traffic-related air pollution, including direct exhaust emissions and road dust (RD), impacts individuals living near busy roads. We recently conducted a study to investigate the sources and composition of tailpipe and non-tailpipe traffic emissions, where we collected and analyzed samples of ambient air fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and fine RD (RD_2.5) at different distances from major roadways. We analyzed a subset of the samples, including those collected at the roadside and local background, for their alpha activity level. Subsequently, we investigated whether there is a distance-related decay in the alpha activity in RD_2.5 or PM_2.5 similar to those observed for traffic-related species in PM_2.5 and RD_2.5. We found that the alpha activity of ambient air PM_2.5 (Bq/mg) was more than an order of magnitude higher than the activity level of the corresponding RD_2.5 sample, suggesting that PM_2.5 may be more toxic than RD_2.5. Using mixed-effects regression models, we found that ambient PM_2.5 alpha activity was significantly higher during the cold months than during warm months, and that the background was higher than the roadside (though not significantly). In contrast, the RD_2.5 alpha activity was significantly higher at the background site compared to the roadside but was not significantly affected by season. In addition to sampling position, both Zn and elemental carbon (EC) were significant predictors of RD_2.5 alpha activity. In addition, the roadside RD_2.5 activity levels were found to be higher at highways as compared to secondary roads. While traffic-related emissions do not appear to be significant sources of either ambient PM_2.5 or RD_2.5 alpha activity, the RD_2.5 results suggest that traffic-related particles may contribute to RD_2.5 alpha-activity. Implications: Many studies have reported the effects of traffic-related particulate matter (PM) on human health, and there is growing interest in the health effects of exposure to environmental PM alpha activity. This is the first study to report on the alpha activity of road dust (RD) or near-roadway ambient PM. We found that the alpha activity of ambient PM is twenty times higher than RD, suggesting that ambient PM may be more toxic. In PM and RD, the alpha activities were higher at background sites than at the roadside, indicating that traffic-related emissions are not a significant source of particulate radioactivity.

Challenges in the quantification approach to a radiation relevant adverse outcome pathway for lung cancer

PURPOSE

Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) provide a modular framework for describing sequences of biological key events (KEs) and key event relationships (KERs) across levels of biological organization. Empirical evidence across KERs can support construction of quantified AOPs (qAOPs). Using an example AOP of energy deposition from ionizing radiation onto DNA leading to lung cancer incidence, we investigate the feasibility of quantifying data from KERs supported by all types of stressors. The merits and challenges of this process in the context of AOP construction are discussed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Empirical evidence across studies of dose-response from four KERs of the AOP were compiled independently for quantification. Three upstream KERs comprised of evidence from various radiation types in line with AOP guidelines. For these three KERs, a focused analysis of data from alpha-particle studies was undertaken to better characterize the process to the adverse outcome (AO) for a radon gas stressor. Numerical information was extracted from tables and graphs to plot and tabulate the response of KEs. To complement areas of the AOP quantification process, Monte Carlo (MC) simulations in TOPAS-nBio were performed to model exposure conditions relevant to the AO for an example bronchial compartment of the lung with secretory cell nuclei targets.

RESULTS

Quantification of AOP KERs highlighted the relevance of radiation types under the stressor-agnostic intent of AOP design, motivating a focus on specific types. For a given type, significant differences of KE response indicate meaningful data to derive linkages from the MIE to the AO is lacking and that better response-response focused studies are required. The MC study estimates the linear energy transfer (LET) of alpha-particles emitted by radon-222 and its progeny in the secretory cell nuclei of the example lung compartment to range from 94 - 5 + 5 to 192 - 18 + 15 keV/µm.

CONCLUSION

Quantifying AOP components provides a means to assemble empirical evidence across different studies. This highlights challenges in the context of studies examining similar endpoints using different radiation types. Data linking KERs to a MIE of 'deposition of energy' is shown to be non-compatible with the stressor-agnostic principles of AOP design. Limiting data to that describing response-response relationships between adjacent KERs may better delineate studies relevant to the damage that drives a pathway to the next KE and still support an 'all hazards' approach. Such data remains limited and future investigations in the radiation field may consider this approach when designing experiments and reporting their results and outcomes.

Alpha-Particle Therapy for Multifocal Osteosarcoma: A Hypothesis

Osteosarcoma (OST) is the most common bone tumor in children and adolescents with a second peak of incidence in elderly adults usually diagnosed as secondary tumors in Paget's disease or irradiated bone. Subjects with metastatic disease or whose disease relapses after the initial therapy have a poor prognosis. Moreover, multifocal OST contains tumor-initiating cells that are resistant to chemotherapy. The use of aggressive therapies in an attempt to eradicate these cells can have long-term negative consequences in these vulnerable patient populations. ²²⁷Th-labeled molecular probes based on ligands to OST-associated receptors such as IGF-1R (insulin-like growth factor receptor 1), HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), and PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen) are expected to detect and treat osseous and nonosseous sites of multifocal OST. Published reports indicate that ²²⁷Th has limited myelotoxicity, can be stably chelated to its carriers and, as it decays at targeted sites, ²²⁷Th produces ²²³Ra that is subsequently incorporated into the areas of increased osteoblastic activity, that is, osseous metastatic lesions. Linear energy transfer of α particles emitted by ²²⁷Th and its daughter ²²³Ra is within the range of the optimum relative biological effectiveness. The radiotoxicity of α particles is virtually independent of the phase in the cell cycle, oxygenation, and the dose rate. For these reasons, even resistant OST cells remain susceptible to killing by high-energy α particles, which can also kill adjacent quiescent OST cells or cells with low expression of targeted receptors. Systemic side effects are minimized by the limited range of these intense radiations. Quantitative single-photon emission computed tomography of ²²⁷Th and ²²³Ra is feasible. Additionally, the availability of radionuclide pairs, for example, ⁸⁹Zr for positron emission tomography and ²²⁷Th for therapy, establish a strong basis for the theranostic use of ²²⁷Th in the individualized treatment of multifocal OST.

Cost of fear and radiation protection actions: Washington County, Utah and Fukushima, Japan {Comparing case histories}

Purpose: The purpose of this manuscript is to evaluate the role of regulatory limits and regulatory action on the total impact of nuclear contamination and accidents. While it is important to protect the public from excessive radiation exposures it is also critical to weigh the damage done by implementing regulations against the benefits produced. Two cases: Actions taken as a result of radioactive fallout in Washington County, Utah in 1953 from the atomic bomb testing in Nevada, and the actions implemented post release of radioactive materials into the environment from the damaged nuclear power reactor at Fukushima, Japan, are compared.Materials and methods: The Washington County radiation exposures and doses, resulting from the Nevada nuclear weapons tests, were taken from published reports, papers, and historical records. The protective actions taken were reviewed and reported. Recent publications were used to define the doses following Fukushima. The impact and/or results of sheltering only versus sheltering/evacuation of Washington County and Fukushima are compared.Results: The radiation dose from the fallout in Washington County from the fallout was almost 2-3 three times the dose in Japan, but the regulatory actions were vastly different. In Utah, the minimal action taken, e.g. sheltering in place, had no major impact on the public health or on the economy. The actions in Fukushima resulted in major negative impact precipitated through the fear generated. And the evacuation. The results had adverse human health and wellness consequences and a serious impact on the economy of the Fukushima region, and all of Japan.Conclusions: When evacuation is being considered, great care must be taken when any regulatory actions are initiated based on radiation limits. It is necessary to consider total impact and optimize the actions to limit radiation exposure while minimizing the social, economic, and health impacts. Optimization can help ensure that the protective measures result in more good than harm. It seems clear that organizations who recommend radiation protection guidelines need to revisit the past and current guides in light of the significant Fukushima experience.

The impact of dose rate on the linear no threshold hypothesis

The goal of this manuscript is to define the role of dose rate and dose protraction on the induction of biological changes at all levels of biological organization. Both total dose and the time frame over which it is delivered are important as the body has great capacity to repair all types of biological damage. The importance of dose rate has been recognized almost from the time that radiation was discovered and has been included in radiation standards as a Dose, Dose Rate, Effectiveness Factor (DDREF) and a Dose Rate Effectiveness Factor (DREF). This manuscript will evaluate the role of dose rate at the molecular, cellular, tissue, experimental animals and humans to demonstrate that dose rate is an important variable in estimating radiation cancer risk and other biological effects. The impact of low-dose rates on the Linear-No-Threshold Hypothesis (LNTH) will be reviewed since if the LNTH is not valid it is not possible to calculate a single value for a DDREF or DREF. Finally, extensive human experience is briefly reviewed to show that the radiation risks are not underestimated and that radiation at environmental levels has limited impact on total human cancer risk.

Cytogenetic damage analysis in mice chronically exposed to low-dose internal tritium beta-particle radiation

The aim of this study was to carry out a comprehensive examination of potential genotoxic effects of low doses of tritium delivered chronically to mice and to compare these effects to the ones resulting from equivalent doses of gamma-irradiation. Mice were chronically exposed for one or eight months to either tritiated water (HTO) or organically bound tritium (OBT) in drinking water at concentrations of 10 kBq/L, 1 MBq/L or 20 MBq/L. Dose rates of internal β-particle resulting from such tritium treatments were calculated and matching external gamma-exposures were carried out. We measured cytogenetic damage in bone marrow and in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and the cumulative tritium doses (0.009 - 181 mGy) were used to evaluate the dose-response of OBT in PBLs, as well as its relative biological effectiveness (RBE). Neither tritium, nor gamma exposures produced genotoxic effects in bone marrow. However, significant increases in chromosome damage rates in PBLs were found as a result of chronic OBT exposures at 1 and 20 M Bq/L, but not at 10 kBq/L. When compared to an external acute gamma-exposure ex vivo, the RBE of OBT for chromosome aberrations induction was evaluated to be significantly higher than 1 at cumulative tritium doses below 10 mGy. Although found non-existent at 10 kBq/L (the WHO limit), the genotoxic potential of low doses of tritium (>10 kBq/L), mainly OBT, may be higher than currently assumed.

The Role of Radiation Induced Injury on Lung Cancer

This manuscript evaluates the role of cell killing, tissue disorganization, and tissue damage on the induction of lung cancer following low dose rate radiation exposures from internally deposited radioactive materials. Beagle dogs were exposed by inhalation to ⁹⁰Y, ⁹¹Y, ¹⁴⁴Ce, or ⁹⁰Sr in fused clay particles. Dogs lived out their life span with complete pathology conducted at the time of death. The radiation dose per cell turnover was characterized and related to the cause of death for each animal. Large doses per cell turnover resulted in acute death from lung damage with extensive cell killing, tissue disorganization, chronic inflammatory disease, fibrosis, and pneumonitis. Dogs with lower doses per cell turnover developed a very high frequency of lung cancer. As the dose per cell turnover was further decreased, no marked tissue damage and no significant change in either life span or lung cancer frequency was observed. Radiation induced tissue damage and chronic inflammatory disease results in high cancer frequencies in the lung. At doses where a high frequency of chromosome damage and mutations would be predicted to occur there was no decrease in life span or increase in lung cancer. Such research suggests that cell killing and tissue damage and the physiological responses to that damage are important mechanisms in radiation induced lung cancer.

The role of dose rate in radiation cancer risk: evaluating the effect of dose rate at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels using key events in critical pathways following exposure to low LET radiation

PURPOSE

This review evaluates the role of dose rate on cell and molecular responses. It focuses on the influence of dose rate on key events in critical pathways in the development of cancer. This approach is similar to that used by the U.S. EPA and others to evaluate risk from chemicals. It provides a mechanistic method to account for the influence of the dose rate from low-LET radiation, especially in the low-dose region on cancer risk assessment. Molecular, cellular, and tissues changes are observed in many key events and change as a function of dose rate. The magnitude and direction of change can be used to help establish an appropriate dose rate effectiveness factor (DREF).

CONCLUSIONS

Extensive data on key events suggest that exposure to low dose-rates are less effective in producing changes than high dose rates. Most of these data at the molecular and cellular level support a large (2-30) DREF. In addition, some evidence suggests that doses delivered at a low dose rate decrease damage to levels below that observed in the controls. However, there are some data human and mechanistic data that support a dose-rate effectiveness factor of 1. In summary, a review of the available molecular, cellular and tissue data indicates that not only is dose rate an important variable in understanding radiation risk but it also supports the selection of a DREF greater than one as currently recommended by ICRP ( 2007 ) and BEIR VII (NRC/NAS 2006 ).

Thirty-sixth Lauriston S. Taylor Lecture on radiation protection and measurements--from the field to the laboratory and back: the what ifs, wows, and who cares of radiation biology

My scientific journey started at the University of Utah chasing fallout. It was on everything, in everything, and was distributed throughout the ecosystem. This resulted in radiation doses to humans and caused me great concern. From this concern I asked the question, "Are there health effects from these radiation doses and levels of radioactive contamination?" I have invested my scientific career trying to address this basic question. While conducting research, I got acquainted with many of the What ifs of radiation biology. The major What if in my research was, "What if we have underestimated the radiation risk for internally-deposited radioactive material?" While conducting research to address this important question, many other What ifs came up related to dose, dose rate, and dose distribution. I also encountered a large number of Wows. One of the first was when I went from conducting environmental fallout studies to research in a controlled laboratory. The activity in fallout was expressed as pCi L⁻¹, whereas it was necessary to inject laboratory animals with μCi g⁻¹ body weight to induce measurable biological changes, chromosome aberrations, and cancer. Wow! That is seven to nine orders of magnitude above the activity levels found in the environment. Other Wows have made it necessary for the field of radiation biology to make important paradigm shifts. For example, one shift involved changing from "hit theory" to total tissue responses as the result of bystander effects. Finally, Who cares? While working at U.S. Department of Energy headquarters and serving on many scientific committees, I found that science does not drive regulatory and funding decisions. Public perception and politics seem to be major driving forces. If scientific data suggested that risk had been underestimated, everyone cared. When science suggested that risk had been overestimated, no one cared. This result-dependent Who cares? was demonstrated as we tried to generate interactions by holding meetings with individuals involved in basic low-dose research, regulators, and the news media. As the scientists presented their "exciting data" that suggested that risk was overestimated, many of the regulators simply said, "We cannot use such data." The newspaper people said, "It is not possible to get such information by my editors." In spite of these difficulties, research results from basic science must be made available and considered by members of the public as well as by those that make regulatory recommendations. Public outreach of the data is critical and must continue to be a future focus to address properly the question of, "Who cares?" My journey in science, like many of yours, has been a mixture of chasing money, beatings, and the joys of unique and interesting research results. Perhaps through our experiences, we can improve research environments, funding, and use of the valuable information that is generated. Scientists that study at all levels of biological organization, from the environment to the laboratory and human epidemiology, must share expertise and data to address the What Ifs, Wows, and Who Cares of radiation biology.

Dose response of micronuclei induced by combination radiation of α-particles and γ-rays in human lymphoblast cells

Combination radiation is a real situation of both nuclear accident exposure and space radiation environment, but its biological dosimetry is still not established. This study investigated the dose-response of micronuclei (MN) induction in lymphocyte by irradiating HMy2.CIR lymphoblast cells with α-particles, γ-rays, and their combinations. Results showed that the dose-response of MN induced by γ-rays was well-fitted with the linear-quadratic model. But for α-particle irradiation, the MN induction had a biphasic phenomenon containing a low dose hypersensitivity characteristic and its dose response could be well-stimulated with a state vector model where radiation-induced bystander effect (RIBE) was involved. For the combination exposure, the dose response of MN was similar to that of α-irradiation. However, the yield of MN was closely related to the sequence of irradiations. When the cells were irradiated with α-particles at first and then γ-rays, a synergistic effect of MN induction was observed. But when the cells were irradiated with γ-rays followed by α-particles, an antagonistic effect of MN was observed in the low dose range although this combination radiation also yielded a synergistic effect at high doses. When the interval between two irradiations was extended to 4h, a cross-adaptive response against the other irradiation was induced by a low dose of γ-rays but not α-particles.

Ionizing radiation-induced metabolic oxidative stress and prolonged cell injury

Cellular exposure to ionizing radiation leads to oxidizing events that alter atomic structure through direct interactions of radiation with target macromolecules or via products of water radiolysis. Further, the oxidative damage may spread from the targeted to neighboring, non-targeted bystander cells through redox-modulated intercellular communication mechanisms. To cope with the induced stress and the changes in the redox environment, organisms elicit transient responses at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels to counteract toxic effects of radiation. Metabolic pathways are induced during and shortly after the exposure. Depending on radiation dose, dose-rate and quality, these protective mechanisms may or may not be sufficient to cope with the stress. When the harmful effects exceed those of homeostatic biochemical processes, induced biological changes persist and may be propagated to progeny cells. Physiological levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species play critical roles in many cellular functions. In irradiated cells, levels of these reactive species may be increased due to perturbations in oxidative metabolism and chronic inflammatory responses, thereby contributing to the long-term effects of exposure to ionizing radiation on genomic stability. Here, in addition to immediate biological effects of water radiolysis on DNA damage, we also discuss the role of mitochondria in the delayed outcomes of ionization radiation. Defects in mitochondrial functions lead to accelerated aging and numerous pathological conditions. Different types of radiation vary in their linear energy transfer (LET) properties, and we discuss their effects on various aspects of mitochondrial physiology. These include short and long-term in vitro and in vivo effects on mitochondrial DNA, mitochondrial protein import and metabolic and antioxidant enzymes.

Review and evaluation of updated research on the health effects associated with low-dose ionising radiation

While radiation health risks at low doses have traditionally been estimated from high-dose studies, we have reviewed recent literature and concluded that the mechanisms of action for many biological endpoints may be different at low doses from those observed at high doses; that acute doses <100 mSv may be too small to allow epidemiological detection of excess cancers given the background of naturally occurring cancers; that low-dose radiation research should use holistic approaches such as systems-based methods to develop models that define the shape of the dose-response relationship; and that these results should be combined with the latest epidemiology to produce a comprehensive understanding of radiation effects that addresses both damage, likely with a linear effect, and response, possibly with non-linear consequences. Continued research is needed to understand how radiobiology and epidemiology advances should be used to effectively model radiation worker risks.

Hepatocyte Response to Continuous Low Dose-rate Radiation in Radioimmunotherapy Assessed by Micronucleus Assay

The response of hepatocytes to low dose-rate irradiation was examined in mice following the injection of radiolabelled monoclonal antibody. Mice were injected intravenously with an 131I-labelled monoclonal antibody 196-14 which recognizes CA125 antigen, and the effect of continuous low dose-rate irradiation on hepatocytes was assessed using the micronucleus assay. The frequency of micronuclei increased in a dose-dependent fashion, but it was lower than the frequency induced by conventional external X-rays which was determined immediately after the irradiation. A linear quadratic model (micronucleus frequency = aD+bD2+c) showed that the value of b decreased with low dose-rate irradiation from the radiolabelled antibody. It is concluded that the micronucleus assay is useful for the evaluation of the response of hepatocytes to irradiation in radioimmunotherapy.

Biological response to nonuniform distributions of (210)Po in multicellular clusters

Radionuclides are distributed nonuniformly in tissue. The present work examined the impact of nonuniformities at the multicellular level on the lethal effects of (210)Po. A three-dimensional (3D) tissue culture model was used wherein V79 cells were labeled with (210)Po-citrate and mixed with unlabeled cells, and multicellular clusters were formed by centrifugation. The labeled cells were located randomly in the cluster to achieve a uniform distribution of radioactivity at the macroscopic level that was nonuniform at the multicellular level. The clusters were maintained at 10.5 degrees C for 72 h to allow alpha-particle decays to accumulate and then dismantled, and the cells were seeded for colony formation. Unlike typical survival curves for alpha particles, two-component exponential dose-response curves were observed for all three labeling conditions. Furthermore, the slopes of the survival curves for 100, 10 and 1% labeling were different. Neither the mean cluster absorbed dose nor a semi-empirical multicellular dosimetry approach could accurately predict the lethal effects of (210)Po-citrate.

DOE program--developing a scientific basis for responses to low-dose exposures: impact on dose-response relationships

The DOE Low Dose Radiation Research Program focuses on biological mechanisms involved in response to low doses of both low and high-LET radiation (< 0.1Gy). This research program represents a merging of new technologies with cutting edge biological techniques associated with genomics. This merger enables observation of radiation-induced cellular and molecular changes previously undetectable. These low-dose responses define mechanisms of interaction of radiation with living systems, and characterize the shape of dose-response. The research from this program suggests radiation paradigms regarding the involvement of radiation in the carcinogenic process. New biological phenomena observed at low doses include initial radiation-induced DNA damage and repair, changes in gene expression, adaptive responses and bystander effects. However, information from this cellular-molecular level cannot be directly extrapolated to risks in human populations. Links must be carefully developed between dose-response relationships at the cell and tissue levels and risk to human populations. The challenge and the ultimate goal of the Program is to determine if basic scientific data can be combined with more traditional epidemiological methods to improve the estimation of radiation risk from low level radiation exposures.

Choosing an alpha radiation weighting factor for doses to non-human biota

The risk to non-human biota from exposure to ionizing radiation is of current international interest. In calculating radiation doses to humans, it is common to multiply the absorbed dose by a factor to account for the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of the radiation type. However, there is no international consensus on the appropriate value of such a factor for weighting doses to non-human biota. This paper summarizes our review of the literature on experimentally determined RBEs for internally deposited alpha-emitting radionuclides. The relevancy of each experimental result in selecting a radiation weighting factor for doses from alpha particles in biota was judged on the basis of criteria established a priori. We recommend a nominal alpha radiation weighting factor of 5 for population-relevant deterministic and stochastic endpoints, but to reflect the limitations in the experimental data, uncertainty ranges of 1-10 and 1-20 were selected for population-relevant deterministic and stochastic endpoints, respectively.

Radiation effectiveness factors for use in calculating probability of causation of radiogenic cancers

This paper presents so-called radiation effectiveness factors that are intended to represent the biological effectiveness of different radiation types, relative to high-energy Co gamma rays, for the purpose of estimating cancer risks and probability of causation of radiogenic cancers in identified individuals. Radiation effectiveness factors are expressed as subjective probability distributions to represent uncertainty that arises from uncertainties in estimates of relative biological effectiveness obtained from radiobiological studies of stochastic endpoints, limited data on biological effectiveness obtained from human epidemiological studies, and other judgments involved in evaluating the applicability of available information to induction of cancers in humans. Primarily on the basis of reviews and evaluations of available data by experts, probability distributions of radiation effectiveness factors are developed for the following radiation types: neutrons of energy less than 10 keV, 10-100 keV, 0.1-2 MeV (including fission neutrons), 2-20 MeV, and greater than 20 MeV; alpha particles of any energy emitted by radionuclides; photons of energy 30-250 keV and less than 30 keV; and electrons of energy less than 15 keV. Photons of energy greater than 250 keV and electrons of energy greater than 15 keV are assumed to have the same biological effectiveness as reference Co gamma rays and are assigned a radiation effectiveness factor of unity, without uncertainty. For neutrons and alpha particles, separate probability distributions of radiation effectiveness factors are developed for solid tumors and leukemias, and small corrections to represent an inverse dose-rate effect are applied to those distributions in cases of chronic exposure. A radiation effectiveness factor different from unity for 15-60 keV electrons is discussed but is not adopted due to a lack of relevant radiobiological data. Radiation effectiveness factors presented in this paper are incorporated in the Interactive RadioEpidemiological Program and were developed for use by The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and U.S. Department of Labor in evaluating claims for compensation for radiogenic cancers by workers at U.S. Department of Energy facilities.

Relative biological effectiveness (RBE), quality factor (Q), and radiation weighting factor (w(R)). A report of the International Commission on Radiological Protection

The effect of ionising radiation is influenced by the dose, the dose rate, and the quality of the radiation. Before 1990, dose-equivalent quantities were defined in terms of a quality factor, Q(L), that was applied to the absorbed dose at a point in order to take into account the differences in the effects of different types of radiation. In its 1990 recommendations, the ICRP introduced a modified concept. For radiological protection purposes, the absorbed dose is averaged over an organ or tissue, T, and this absorbed dose average is weighted for the radiation quality in terms of the radiation weighting factor, w(R), for the type and energy of radiation incident on the body. The resulting weighted dose is designated as the organ- or tissue-equivalent dose, H(T). The sum of the organ-equivalent doses weighted by the ICRP organ-weighting factors, w(T), is termed the effective dose, E. Measurements can be performed in terms of the operational quantities, ambient dose equivalent, and personal dose equivalent. These quantities continue to be defined in terms of the absorbed dose at the reference point weighted by Q(L). The values for w(R) and Q(L) in the 1990 recommendations were based on a review of the biological and other information available, but the underlying relative biological effectiveness (RBE) values and the choice of w(R) values were not elaborated in detail. Since 1990, there have been substantial developments in biological and dosimetric knowledge that justify a re-appraisal of w(R) values and how they may be derived. This re-appraisal is the principal objective of the present report. The report discusses in some detail the values of RBE with regard to stochastic effects, which are central to the selection of w(R) and Q(L). Those factors and the dose-equivalent quantities are restricted to the dose range of interest to radiation protection, i.e. to the general magnitude of the dose limits. In special circumstances where one deals with higher doses that can cause deterministic effects, the relevant RBE values are applied to obtain a weighted dose. The question of RBE values for deterministic effects and how they should be used is also treated in the report, but it is an issue that will demand further investigations. This report is one of a set of documents being developed by ICRP Committees in order to advise the ICRP on the formulation of its next Recommendations for Radiological Protection. Thus, while the report suggests some future modifications, the w(R) values given in the 1990 recommendations are still valid at this time. The report provides a scientific background and suggests how the ICRP might proceed with the derivation of w(R) values ahead of its forthcoming recommendations.

Application of cytokine intervention for improved radio-antibody dose delivery

The goal of our studies was to determine whether administration of IL-1/GM-CSF to mice could reduce radio-antibody-induced myelosuppression and allow either dose escalation of radio-antibody using 131I, 90Y or 188Re conjugated to either intact antibody or bivalent fragments or more frequent dosing with 131I-IgG. Survival, peripheral blood counts, hematopoietic tissue weight and number of marrow CFCs were used to determine the ability to dose-intensify with a single dose or to reduce the spacing between doses. In this report, we show that in the absence of cytokines, 2 cycles of 131I-IgG spaced at 28, 35, 42 and 49 days resulted in 100%, 100%, 40% and 0% lethality, respectively. In contrast, cytokine intervention reduced lethality to 45%, 20%, 0% and 0% at the same time intervals between doses. Thus, the use of cytokines permits at least a 1 week earlier redosing of 131I-IgG. Cytokine intervention also has reduced the magnitude of myelosuppression, as measured by neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, thus permitting intensification of single doses of radio-iodinated intact antibodies, bivalent fragments and 90Y-IgG by at least 30%, 50% and 25%, respectively. However, cytokines were not effective at permitting dose escalation of either 90Y-F(ab')2 or 188Re-IgG. Further optimization of the dose schedule of cytokine administration needs to be explored for these 2 nuclide-antibody forms.

Inhaled radon-induced genotoxicity in Wistar rat, Syrian hamster, and Chinese hamster deep-lung fibroblasts in vivo

This study was performed (1) to provide a comparison of the genotoxic effects of inhaled radon and radon progeny, referred to as radon in this paper, among three species of rodents: Wistar rats, Syrian hamsters, and Chinese hamsters; (2) to determine if initial chromosome damage was related to the risk of induction of lung cancer; and (3) to evaluate the tissue repair and long-term presence of cytogenetic damage in respiratory tract cells. These species were selected because Syrian hamsters are very resistant to radon induction of lung cancer and Wistar rats are sensitive; no literature is available on the in vivo effects of radon in the Chinese hamster. Exposure-response relationships were established for the rats and Syrian hamsters while the Chinese hamsters received a single exposure of radon. At 4 h (0.2 days), 15 days, and 30 days after the highest WLM exposure to radon, Wistar rats, Chinese hamsters, and Syrian hamsters were killed, and lung fibroblasts were isolated and grown in culture to determine the frequency of induced micronuclei. Animals at each level of exposure showed an increase in the frequency of micronuclei relative to that in controls (P < 0.05). The exposure-response relationship data for rats and Syrian hamsters killed 0.2 days after the end of exposure were fit to linear equations (micronuclei/1000 binucleated cells = 15.5 +/- 14.4 + 0.53 +/- 0.06 WLM and 38.3 +/- 15.1 + 0.80 +/- 0.08 WLM, respectively). For the single exposure level used (496 WLM) in Chinese hamsters killed at 0.2 days after exposure, the frequency of micronuclei/1000 binucleated cells/WLM was 1.83 +/- 0.02. A comparison of the sensitivity for induction of micronuclei/WLM illustrated that Chinese hamsters were three times more sensitive than rats. The Syrian hamsters also showed a significantly elevated response (P < 0.05) relative to rats. These data suggest that initial chromosome damage is not the major factor responsible for the high rate of radon-induced cancer in rats relative to Syrian hamsters. The frequency of micronuclei in radon-exposed rats, Syrian hamsters, and Chinese hamsters significantly decreased (P < 0.05) as a function of time after the exposure. The rate of loss of damaged cells from the lung was greatest in the Chinese hamsters, followed by Wistar rats and Syrian hamsters, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The combined effects of alpha-particles and X-rays on cell killing and micronuclei induction in lung epithelial cells

Understanding how cellular damage produced by high-linear energy transfer (LET) radiation interacts with that produced by low-LET is important both in radiation therapy and in evaluating risk. To study such interactions, rat lung epithelial cells (LEC) were grown on Mylar films and exposed to both X-rays and alpha-particles, separately or simultaneously. Cell killing, and the numbers of binucleated cells and micronuclei, were measured as indicators of damage. X-rays and alpha-particles given separately caused dose-related increases in cell cycle time, with alpha-particles producing greater mitotic delay than X-rays. Damage from alpha-particles and X-rays given simultaneously did not interact to alter further the cell cycle. Cell survival data following exposure to X-rays and alpha-particles, combined or individually, were fitted by linear-quadratic models. Survival curves following exposure to alpha-particles only, or to 1.0 Gy alpha-particles plus graded X-ray doses, were adequately described using only the linear (alpha) term of a linear-quadratic model with alpha coefficients of 0.9 +/- 0.04 and 1.03 +/- 0.18 Gy-1, respectively. Survival following exposure to X-rays only or to 0.06 Gy alpha-particles combined with X-rays was best fitted using both alpha and beta terms of the linear-quadratic model (0.12 +/- 0.03)D + (0.007 +/- 0.002)D2 and (0.57 +/- 0.08)D + (0.3 +/- 0.02)D2, respectively. The numbers of micronuclei produced by exposure to alpha-particles or X-rays alone increased linearly with dose, with slopes of 0.48 +/- 0.07 and 0.19 +/- 0.05 micronuclei/binucleated cell per Gy for alpha and X-rays, respectively. Simultaneous exposure to graded levels of X-rays and a constant alpha dose of either 1.0 or 0.06 Gy increased micronuclei frequency, with a slope of 0.74 +/- 0.05 or 0.58 +/- 0.04 micronuclei/binucleated cell per Gy, respectively. These slopes are similar to that produced by alpha-particles alone. These studies demonstrated that both cell killing and the induction of micronuclei were increased by combined exposures compared with that predicted for separate exposures.

Current status of cytogenetic procedures to detect and quantify previous exposures to radiation

The estimation of the magnitude of a dose of ionizing radiation to which an individual has been exposed (or of the plausibility of an alleged exposure) from chromosomal aberration frequencies determined in peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures is a well-established methodology, having first been employed over 25 years ago. The cytogenetics working group has reviewed the accumulated data and the possible applicability of the technique to the determination of radiation doses to which American veterans might have been exposed as participants in nuclear weapons tests in the continental U.S.A. or the Pacific Atolls during the late 1940s and 1950s or as members of the Occupation Forces entering Hiroshima or Nagasaki shortly after the nuclear detonations there. The working group believes that with prompt peripheral blood sampling, external doses to individuals of the order of about 10 rad (or less if the exposure was to high-LET radiation) can accurately be detected and measured. It also believes that exposures of populations to doses of the order of maximum permissible occupational exposures can also be detected (but only in populations; not in an individual). Large exposures of populations can also be detected even several decades after their exposure, but only in the case of populations, and of large doses (of the order of 100 to several hundred rad). The working group does not believe that cytogenetic measurements can detect internal doses from fallout radionuclides in individuals unless these are very large. The working group has approached the problem of detection of small doses (less than or equal to 10 or so rad) sampled decades after the exposure of individuals by using a Bayesian statistical approach. Only a preliminary evaluation of this approach was possible, but it is clear that it could provide a formal statement of the likelihood that any given observation of a particular number of chromosomal aberrations in a sample of any particular number of lymphocytes actually indicates an exposure to any given dose of radiation. It is also clear that aberration frequencies (and consequently doses) would have to be quite high before much confidence could be given to either exposure or dose estimation by this method, given the approximately 3 decades of elapsed time between the exposures and any future blood sampling.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The microdosimetry of lymphocytes irradiated by alpha-particles

Although the concept of absorbed dose is commonly used in radiation biology as a parameter for comparing the toxic effect of different levels of radiation on a system, there are situations where the absorbed dose by itself is inadequate, and additional dose distribution information is required to explain the observed biological effects. A good example is the irradiation of cells by alpha-particles. This paper reports the use of internal microdosimetry techniques to reinvestigate the dosimetry to two very similar experiments with apparently contradictory dose-response results. Yields of dicentric chromosome aberrations induced in human blood lymphocytes following in vitro exposure to dissolved americium or plutonium at two separate laboratories produced linear dose-response functions, but the slopes of the best-fit straight lines differed by a factor of 12. Our microdosimetric analysis showed the results of one experiment to be inconsistent with a uniform distribution of activity. It also showed that the difference in slope could be attributed to differences in particulate size and spatial distribution as a result of dissimilarities in procedures used for preparing the actinide solutions.

Comparative effects of protracted exposures to 60Co gamma-radiation and 239Pu alpha-radiation on breeding performance in female mice

Breeding performances are compared of hybrid female mice given 239Pu (5 or 10 mu Cikg-1 body mass in 1% trisodium citrate via the tail-vein), or kept in a 10 rad/day or 20 rad/day 60Co gamma-irradiation field (but mated in the control area), or unirradiated. Ovarian dose-rates from the injected plutonium were initially 0.8 and 1.7 rad/day, changing little thereafter; actual gamma-ray dose-rates to breeding females averaged around 8 and 16 rad/day respectively. Both gamma-ray treatments affected reproductive performance more than the plutonium injections, with respet to duration of fertility and to offspring per litter in successive 4-weekly periods, though overall mean litter-sizes were not significantly less than controls. The r.b.e. for these effects on reproduction, attributed to germ-cell killing, is about 2.5 for the alpha-particles vs. gamma-rays, lower than for testis mass reduction in males. This low r.b.e. may be connected with inhomogeneity of alpha-particle dose within the ovary, but it is known that fission neutron versus gamma r.b.e.'s for impairment of female fertility are also lower than those for impairment of male fertility.

Influence of radiation quality on the effectiveness of small doses for induction of reproductive death and chromosome aberrations in mammalian cells

An analysis and interpretation is presented of published data concerning the dependence of radiobiological effectiveness on the radiation quality of photons, neutrons and heavy ions for the induction of these two effects in different types of mammalian cell. The results of this analysis suggest that chromosome aberrations observable at mitosis show a stronger dependence on YF or LET infinity than cell inactivation. At high YF, observable abberrations provide a major contribution to cell reproductive death induced by small doses. At low YF the effectiveness of small doses for cell death depends mainly on another type of damage, possibly also induced in the chromosomes, but not observable at mitosis. This type of damage depends less of YF or LET infinity than observable aberrations. The implications of these differences in damage in relation to radiation quality for the extrapolation of data on other types of damage to small doses of interest in radiation protection are discussed in relation to maximum r.b.e values observed.

Cytogenetic effects of protracted exposures to alpha-particles from plutonium-239 and to gamma-rays from cobalt-60 compared in male mice

Adult C3H X 101 hybrid male mice were injected intravenously with 4 muCi of 239Pu citrate per kg body weight and examined for evidence of cytogenetic damage to the testis after exposures of 21, 28 and 34 weeks, with average doses from alpha-particles estimated as 13, 18 and 18 rad respectively (mean dose rate 0.00006 rad/min). Results were compared with those obtained when equivalent males were exposed continuously and concurrently to 1128 rad 60Co gamma-irradiation over 28 weeks (0.004 rad/min). The following estimates of the relative effectiveness of the alpha- and gamma-radiation were made: 24 for reciprocal translocations and for chromosome fragments, 22 for dominant lethal mutations acting after implantation. These values (with mean of 23) are based on average testis doses, with no correction for probable non-homogeneity of alpha dose distribution. In the mice exposed to gamma-irradiation there were significant reductions in testis mass and epididymal sperm-count. Although corresponding differences from control were not significant in the alpha series, consideration of results from a previous experiment by the same authors [2] allowed the relative effectiveness of the alpha- and gamma-irradiation for testis mass reduction to be estimated as roughly 10-15. Existing data on translocation induction in mouse spermatogonia by low dose-rates of gamma-rays (down to 0.003 rad/min) were analysed. They suggested that minimum rates of induction at very low intensities were not less than 1 X 10(-5) translocations per rad. A comparison of the frequencies of induction of fragments and of sperm-head abnormalities obtained after chronic gamma-ray exposures in the present experiment with those found by other workers after acute X-ray exposures suggested that there were no marked dose-rate effects with these types of mutational effect. Finally, the special problems associated with cytogenetic studies on alpha-emitters are discussed.

The toxicity of 90Sr, 226Ra and 239Pu

Data now available on the risks of radiation-induced fatal cancer and hereditary disease and radionuclide metabolism suggest that limits on the rates of intake of 90Sr, 226Ra and 239Pu at work, presently recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection, might be in need of considerable revision one with another and with the limit for uniform exposure of the whole body.