What's better for our health? Conducting protective actions during a nuclear emergency or accepting a certain radiation dose?

The threat caused by ionising radiation has resulted in the establishment of strict radiation protection guidelines. This is especially true for severe nuclear power plant (NPP) accident scenarios, which may involve the release of significant amounts of ionising radiation. However, we believe that the fine balance between the benefit of a certain protective action (e.g. evacuation) and its risks is not always accounted for properly. Deaths and mental health problems have been associated with protective actions (e.g. evacuation) implemented in the response to the Fukushima Daiichi (NPP) accident in 2011. The protective actions were implemented consistent with international recommendations, to reduce radiation-induced health effects, even though the off-site effective doses were too low to indicate that there would be any discernible radiation-induced health effects. In this paper, we will provide a first step for the development of tools to evaluate the risk of protective actions versus the radiation-induced health risk. Over 50 papers were selected as useful from more than 600 reviewed papers to characterise the health impact of protective actions taken during different emergencies (including, technical and natural emergencies). An analysis was performed comparing the radiation-induced health effects averted by protective actions with the health effects associated with the protective actions. We concentrated our analysis on deaths and mental health problems associated with protective actions compared with the inferred radiation-induced deaths averted by the protective actions. Our analysis is stated in terms of absolute risk (cases per 1000) of health effects to allow for a direct comparison. It indicates that taking protective actions consistent with dose criteria typically used in many countries could result in more excess deaths than the inferred radiation-induced deaths prevented, as well as resulting in mental health problems. We identified that residents of facilities for long stays and the elderly are particularly vulnerable and a significant number of the deaths among the general public are associated with a lack of emergency preparedness provisions.

Potential Source Apportionment and Meteorological Conditions Involved in Airborne 131I Detections in January/February 2017 in Europe

Traces of particulate radioactive iodine (¹³¹I) were detected in the European atmosphere in January/February 2017. Concentrations of this nuclear fission product were very low, ranging 0.1 to 10 μBq m^-3 except at one location in western Russia where they reached up to several mBq m^-3. Detections have been reported continuously over an 8-week period by about 30 monitoring stations. We examine possible emission source apportionments and rank them considering their expected contribution in terms of orders of magnitude from typical routine releases: radiopharmaceutical production units > sewage sludge incinerators > nuclear power plants > spontaneous fission of uranium in soil. Inverse modeling simulations indicate that the widespread detections of ¹³¹I resulted from the combination of multiple source releases. Among them, those from radiopharmaceutical production units remain the most likely. One of them is located in Western Russia and its estimated source term complies with authorized limits. Other existing sources related to ¹³¹I use (medical purposes or sewage sludge incineration) can explain detections on a rather local scale. As an enhancing factor, the prevailing wintertime meteorological situations marked by strong temperature inversions led to poor dispersion conditions that resulted in higher concentrations exceeding usual detection limits in use within the informal Ring of Five (Ro5) monitoring network.

Tracking of airborne radionuclides from the damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactors by European networks

Radioactive emissions into the atmosphere from the damaged reactors of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (NPP) started on March 12th, 2011. Among the various radionuclides released, iodine-131 ((131)I) and cesium isotopes ((137)Cs and (134)Cs) were transported across the Pacific toward the North American continent and reached Europe despite dispersion and washout along the route of the contaminated air masses. In Europe, the first signs of the releases were detected 7 days later while the first peak of activity level was observed between March 28th and March 30th. Time variations over a 20-day period and spatial variations across more than 150 sampling locations in Europe made it possible to characterize the contaminated air masses. After the Chernobyl accident, only a few measurements of the gaseous (131)I fraction were conducted compared to the number of measurements for the particulate fraction. Several studies had already pointed out the importance of the gaseous (131)I and the large underestimation of the total (131)I airborne activity level, and subsequent calculations of inhalation dose, if neglected. The measurements made across Europe following the releases from the Fukushima NPP reactors have provided a significant amount of new data on the ratio of the gaseous (131)I fraction to total (131)I, both on a spatial scale and its temporal variation. It can be pointed out that during the Fukushima event, the (134)Cs to (137)Cs ratio proved to be different from that observed after the Chernobyl accident. The data set provided in this paper is the most comprehensive survey of the main relevant airborne radionuclides from the Fukushima reactors, measured across Europe. A rough estimate of the total (131)I inventory that has passed over Europe during this period was <1% of the released amount. According to the measurements, airborne activity levels remain of no concern for public health in Europe.

Cavity QED with magnetically coupled collective spin states

We report strong coupling between an ensemble of nitrogen-vacancy center electron spins in diamond and a superconducting microwave coplanar waveguide resonator. The characteristic scaling of the collective coupling strength with the square root of the number of emitters is observed directly. Additionally, we measure hyperfine coupling to (13)C nuclear spins, which is a first step towards a nuclear ensemble quantum memory. Using the dispersive shift of the cavity resonance frequency, we measure the relaxation time of the NV center at millikelvin temperatures in a nondestructive way.

The long-term survival of plasma cells

Plasma cells sustain antibody production and hence are an essential part of immune protection. In the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues plasma cells secrete IgA antibodies which protect the organism from invasion by pathogenic bacteria while in the bone marrow they produce the antibodies which guarantee long-term humoral immune protection. The various lymphoid organs provide specific microenvironments which support plasma cell survival. In particular, in the bone marrow, highly specialized survival niches are established by the underlying stromal reticular cells which permit plasma cells to survive for years. In some situations, however, the antibody may be detrimental to the organism. In those auto immune diseases, where plasma cells play a pathological role by producing the auto antibodies, new strategies are needed to interfere with the lifespan of plasma cells and thus to diminish their numbers. The recent finding that eosinophils are essential for the long-term survival of plasma cells in the bone marrow provides a new therapeutic target to modulate the plasma cell survival niche.

Plasma cell development in synovial germinal centers in patients with rheumatoid and reactive arthritis

Plasma cells are found surrounding the inflammatory infiltrates of macrophages, T, and B cells in the synovial tissue of patients with rheumatoid and reactive arthritis. This characteristic arrangement suggests that in the synovial tissue CD20+ B cells differentiate into plasma cells. To examine clonal relationships, we have used micromanipulation to separately isolate CD20+ B cells and plasma cells from single infiltrates. DNA was extracted, and from both populations the VH/VL gene repertoires was determined. The data show that in the inflamed synovial tissue activated B cells are clonally expanded. During proliferation in the network of follicular dendritic cells, V gene variants are generated by the hypermutation mechanism. Surprisingly, we do not find identical rearrangements between CD20+ B cells and plasma cells. Nevertheless, the finding of clonally related plasma cells within single infiltrates suggests that these cells underwent terminal differentiation in the synovial tissue. These results indicate that B cell differentiation in the synovial tissue is a dynamic process. Whereas CD20+ B cells may turnover rapidly, plasma cells may well be long lived and thus accumulate in the synovial tissue. The analysis of individual B cells recovered from synovial tissue opens a new way to determine the specificity of those cells that take part in the local immune reaction. This will provide new insights into the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid or reactive arthritis.

Antigen-driven clonal proliferation of B cells within the target tissue of an autoimmune disease. The salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome

Structures resembling germinal centers are seen in the salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome, but it is not known whether the microenvironment of these cell clusters is sufficient for the induction of a germinal center response. Therefore, we cloned and sequenced rearranged Ig V genes expressed by B cells isolated from sections of labial salivary gland biopsies from two Sjögren's syndrome patients. Rearranged V genes from B cells within one cell cluster were polyclonal and most had few somatic mutations. Two adjacent clusters from another patient each contained one dominant B cell clone expressing hypermutated V genes. None of the rearranged V genes was found in both clusters, suggesting that cells are unable to migrate out into the surrounding tissue and seed new clusters. The ratios of replacement to silent mutations in the framework and complementarity determining regions suggest antigen selection of high-affinity mutants. These results show that an antigen-driven, germinal center-type B cell response is taking place within the salivary glands of Sjögren's syndrome patients. In view of the recent demonstration of a germinal center response within the rheumatoid synovial membrane and the existence of similar structures in the target tissues of other autoimmune diseases, we propose that germinal center- type responses can be induced in the nonlymphoid target tissues of a variety of autoimmune diseases.

Development of antibody diversity in single germinal centers: selective expansion of high-affinity variants

In a T cell-dependent immune response the microenvironment of the germinal center plays a crucial role in the affinity maturation of the antigen-specific, immunoglobulins. In order to look at the development of antibody diversity we have isolated single germinal centers and sequenced light chains characteristic of 2-phenyl-oxazolone (phOx)-specific antibodies. Fourteen days after immunization we can demonstrate various stages of intraclonal diversity. There are germinal centers where B cells are practically unmutated, suggesting that in these cases a substantial clonal expansion has taken place prior to the activation of the hypermutation mechanism. In other germinal centers, sequences with a low number of randomly distributed somatic mutations were observed, indicating that these changes have been introduced recently and/or that they fail to generate high-affinity variants and hence provide no basis for affinity selection. Finally, germinal centers are found in which practically all sequences carry the amino acid substitutions characteristic of the high affinity phOx antibodies. In these latter cases the high-affinity variants have been preferentially expanded. We conclude that affinity selection is a process that operates right from the beginning of germinal center development. Those B cells with a relative high affinity for the antigen gain a proliferative advantage over other cells and will dominate the response and these are the cells which will be selected to differentiate into memory cells.

Studies on the interaction between interleukin 6 and human malignant nonhematopoietic cell lines

We have previously reported on stimulation of clonal growth of cell lines from human solid tumors by recombinant human interleukin 3, recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (W. E. Berdel et al., Blood, 73: 80-83, 1989; Exp. Hematol., 16: 510, 1988). Within an extensive screening program of hematopoietic growth factor activity on malignant cells, the effects of recombinant human interleukin 6 (rhIL-6) were tested on the growth (tritiated thymidine uptake and human tumor cloning assay) of 26 different human cell lines derived from a wide range of solid tumors (head and neck, 4; lung, 1; pancreatic, 1; gastric, 1; colorectal, 3; renal, 3; bladder, 1; prostate, 1; breast, 2; ovary, 2; choriocarcinoma, 1; sarcoma, 2; glioblastoma, 2; neuroblastoma, 2). rhIL-6 (dose range up to 10(4) IU/ml) caused no reproducible enhancement or inhibition of tritiated thymidine uptake by tumor cell lines from nonhematopoietic origin. Furthermore, 19 of the tumor cell lines were clonogenic in a capillary modification of the human tumor cloning assay. No reproducible stimulation of clonal growth by rhIL-6 was observed in any of the cells tested. Particularly, there was no sensitivity of those cell lines for rhIL-6, which were previously shown to be sensitive for recombinant human interleukin 3 and recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in this assay. On the other hand, there were no significant growth-inhibitory effects of rhIL-6 on the cell lines tested in this study. Further experiments showed no influence of neutralizing monoclonal anti-hIL-6 antibody on the growth of 3 kidney carcinoma cell lines, making autocrine growth-modulating loops for IL-6 in these lines unlikely. In conclusion, no major interactions between hIL-6 and the growth of the human malignant cell lines from nonhematopoietic origin tested were detected in this study.

Some antagonists of platelet activating factor are cytotoxic for human malignant cell lines

Nine new platelet activating factor (PAF) antagonists from 4 different chemical classes (thiopyrimidines: SDZ 59-015; thioimidazolines: SDZ 61-813; imidazoisoquinolines: SDZ 62-434, SDZ 62-759, SDZ 63-135, SDZ 63-596; and imidazopiperidines: SDZ 61-638, SDZ 62-293, SDZ 62-694) have been tested for cytostatic/antiproliferative ([3H]thymidine uptake) and cytotoxic (trypan blue dye exclusion) activity in neoplastic human cell lines of different histology in vitro. The antiproliferative activity of 3 of the 9 PAF antagonists (SDZ 61-638, SDZ 61-813, SDZ 62-694) was not stable after freezing and thawing. SDZ 59-015 showed only minor cytotoxic or antiproliferative effects in a dose range of 2-40 microns after 24, 48, and 72 h of incubation. SDZ 62-434 showed varying activity. There were no significant differences between the activities of the other 3 PAF antagonists from the imidazoisoquinoline class, which showed drug concentrations inhibiting 50% of the activity studied (IC50) and drug concentrations yielding a 50% decrease of trypan blue dye exclusion (LC50) of less than or equal to 20 microM at greater than or equal to 48 h, even in the K-562 cell line, which is known to be rather resistant for a variety of cytotoxic drugs related to PAF. SDZ 62-293 showed the best antineoplastic properties with IC50 and LC50 values less than or equal to 10 microM at greater than or equal to 48 h including K-562. SDZ 62-434, SDZ 62-759, SDZ 63-135, SDZ 63-596, and SDZ 62-293 have been further tested in a human tumor cloning assay in 5 cell lines. Colony formation was reproducibly suppressed to less than 30% of the controls only by SDZ 63-135 (less than or equal to 40 microM) and SDZ 62-293 (less than or equal to 20 microM) during continuous exposure. There was no correlation between the IC50 values for the antiproliferative activity of the test compounds and their IC50 values for PAF-induced human platelet aggregation. Furthermore, the antiproliferative activity of the most active compound, SDZ 62-293, could not be antagonized by preincubation with the specific PAF antagonists WEB 2170 or WEB 2086 or PAF itself in noncytotoxic doses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Stimulation of clonal growth of human colorectal tumor cells by IL-3 and GM-CSF. Modulation of 5-FU cytotoxicity by GM-CSF

We studied the influence of recombinant human (rh) interleukin-3 (IL-3) and rh granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) on the clonal growth of a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line in a methylcellulose assay for colony growth of solid tumor cell lines (HTCAMC) and a capillary modification of a human tumor cloning assay in agar (HTCAcap). Both growth factors stimulated the clonal growth of this cell line in a dose-dependent fashion. Neutralizing the monoclonal antibody abolished the effect of rhGM-CSF. There was an inverse correlation between the spontaneous plating efficacy (PE) of the cells and their susceptibility to the stimulation by the growth factors. From day 4 to 7 we found conditions in which clusters and colonies occurred preferentially in the growth factor-stimulated cultures. Single colonies taken from these cultures grew rapidly into macroscopically visible tumors in liquid cultures and had a high secondary PE (PE2) in the HTCAcap, both presenting an argument against a differentiating effect of the growth factors on this tumor cell line. Furthermore, we were able to define conditions in which rhGM-CSF significantly increased the cytotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). However, this effect was dependent on spontaneous PE of the cells, degree of stimulation by the factor, degree of cytotoxicity of 5-FU in the controls, as well as the therapeutic regimen. Since there were only narrow margins for a beneficial effect of rhGM-CSF in this setting when absolute numbers of surviving colonies were counted, it remains doubtful whether this approach will be exploitable in the clinical situation.

Cytotoxic effects of hexadecylphosphocholine in neoplastic cell lines including drug-resistant sublines in vitro

Hexadecylphosphocholine (HPC) was tested in comparison with the membrane-toxic reference ether lipid ET-18-OCH3 for cytotoxic (trypan blue dye exclusion) and cytostatic/antiproliferative [( 3H]thymidine uptake) activity in six cell lines of human hematologic malignancies, six cell lines of human solid tumors and four drug-resistant sublines and their respective non-resistant parent lines in vitro. HPC showed time- and dose-dependent antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity in almost all cell lines, including drug-resistant sublines over a dose range of 2-120 microM and after incubation times of 24, 48 and 72 h. However, ET-18-OCH3 showed a significantly higher activity than HPC, when both compounds were compared on an equimolar basis. The human tumor clonogenic assay confirmed these results. Furthermore, no cross-resistance for HPC with colchicine or methotrexate and partial cross-resistance for HPC with adriamycin was found in cell lines selected for drug resistance. In conclusion, HPC is cytotoxic for neoplastic cells of different histologies including drug-resistant sublines in vitro. Although its cytotoxicity starts at somewhat higher doses when compared to ET-18-OCH3, further testing as an experimental anticancer drug in vivo and comparative cytotoxicity studies with hematopoietic progenitor cells from bone marrow are recommended.

Cross-resistance pattern of cell lines selected for resistance towards different cytotoxic drugs to membrane-toxic phospholipids in vitro

The synthetic ether lipids ET-18-OCH3 and BM41.440 and a derivative, hexadecylphosphocholine, were tested for inhibition of [3H]-thymidine uptake into a Chinese hamster ovarian cell line (AUXBl) and its multidrug-resistant subline selected for colchicine resistance (CHRC5). The activity of all three compounds against the multidrug-resistant subline was equal to or higher than that against the parent line. The same result was found for their activity against a human leukemic lymphoblastic cell line (CEM/O) and its methotrexate-resistant subline (CEM/MTX). In contrast, two multidrug-resistant cell lines selected for resistance to Adriamycin, the mouse leukemia cell line P388/ADR and the murine sarcoma cell line S180/ADR, expressed modest cross-resistance to the lipids as measured by thymidine uptake. Experiments performed using the trypan-blue dye-exclusion assay yielded comparable results, although this system revealed a slightly different sensitivity in showing the cytotoxicity of the drugs. By this assay, modest cross-resistance for ET-18-OCH3 and BM41.440 to Adriamycin was found only after 24 h incubation and decreased after 48 h incubation, with almost equal sensitivity to both drugs being shown by the parental (P388/W) and resistant lines (P388/ADR). Furthermore, findings from a human tumor-cloning assay were in accordance with these data, although they did not indicate cross-resistance for the P388/ADR cell line. These results suggest that certain ether lipids and derivatives might represent valuable anticancer drugs warranting further study in the setting of resistant disease.

Antitumoral activity of a xanthate compound. I. Cytotoxicity studies with neoplastic cell lines in vitro

Xanthate derivatives were shown previously to display antitumor activity against transformed fibroblasts and lymphoma cells in combination with monocarboxylic acids [1]. Various malignant cell lines of human origin were treated in vitro to explore the range of antitumoral activity of the compounds. The combination of tricyclodecan-9-yl-xanthogenate (D 609) with undecanoic acid (C11) exerted dose dependent cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects on cell lines both from solid tumors (glioblastomas, colon-carcinomas) and hematological diseases (lymphomas, CML/BC). Additionally, the combination of D 609/C11 was able to kill both methotrexate- and adriamycin-resistant L 1210 and S 180 cells, indicating that there is no cross-resistance for these drugs and D 609/C11 in vitro.

Antitumoral activity of a xanthate compound. II. Therapeutic studies in murine leukemia and tumor models in vivo

The combinations of tricyclodecan-9-yl-xanthogenate (D 609) with undecanoic acid (C11) and D 609 with myristic acid (C14) were tested in 3 rodent tumor models in vivo. D 609 in combination with C11 or C14 did not show antitumoral efficacy in 3-Lewis lung carcinoma (3-LL) growing in syngeneic C57BL6-mice (primary tumor and metastasis) or in WEHI-3B myelomonocytic leukemia growing in Balb/c mice, when given in a dose range lower than the lethal dose for 10% of the treated animals (LD10). In L 1210 mouse lymphoid leukemia growing in CD2F1 mice the combination of D 609/C11 given intraperitoneally in a concentration of 100 mg/kg for more than 1 day effected a significant difference in the survival curves between the control and therapeutic groups in 1 out of 2 experiments. In conclusion, the treatment schedules of D 609/C11 or D 609/C14 used in this study has not revealed significant therapeutic effects in mouse tumors or leukemias in vivo.

Various human hematopoietic growth factors (interleukin-3, GM-CSF, G-CSF) stimulate clonal growth of nonhematopoietic tumor cells

We have studied the effect of recombinant human hematopoietic growth factors (interleukin-3 [rhIL-3], granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [rhGM-CSF], and granulocyte CSF [rhG-CSF]) on the clonal growth of human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines HTB-38, CCL 187, and WiDr (CCL 218). The factors stimulated clonal growth of HTB-38 and CCL 187 in a capillary modification of the human tumor clonogenic assay in agar up to twofold. There were dose-response correlations over a range of 1 to 10,000 U/mL for rhIL-3, rhGM-CSF, and rhG-CSF. Incubation with neutralizing monoclonal antibodies abolished the stimulation of clonal growth by rhGM-CSF. The WiDr cell line was nonresponsive to rhIL-3 and rhGM-CSF. These results represent the first evidence that a variety of hematopoietic growth factors can stimulate the growth of clonogenic cells of some nonhematopoietic malignant cell lines in vitro.