Association of Lifestyle with Physical and Mental Health in Japanese Radiological Technologists

To elucidate the effects of low-dose radiation exposure and lifestyle on physical health and mental health, we evaluated the relationship of age, cumulative radiation dose, and lifestyle (cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and physical exercise) to physical and mental health in Japanese radiological technologists. The study subjects were 932 Japanese radiological technologists who participated in a health study from 1981 to 1985. A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to each subject to obtain information on the items listed above. Items that measured the status of physical and mental health were summarized as several indices and several categories based on the principal component analysis and quantification method III, respectively. The association of age, cumulative radiation dose and respective categories of lifestyle with summarized indices for physical health and summarized categories for mental health were analyzed using multivariate linear regression and multiple linear logistic regression, respectively. A significant decrease with age was observed in physical health but not in mental health except for stress and physical complaints. No significant effects of cumulative radiation dose were observed on physical or mental health. Unfavorable effects of current-smoking were observed in some categories of physical health and mental health. In contrast to cigarette smoking, current alcohol drinking, especially lightdrinking, showed favorable effects in several categories of physical health and mental health, while ex-drinking showed unfavorable effects in some categories of mental health. Favorable effects of physical exercise, especially of high-intensity exercise were observed on both physical and mental health. Effects of occupational exposure to radiation may be negligible in Japanese radiological technolo- gists and improvement of lifestyle is the essential factor for enhancing physical and mental health conditions

Significance of genomic instability in breast cancer in atomic bomb survivors: analysis of microarray-comparative genomic hybridization

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It has been postulated that ionizing radiation induces breast cancers among atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors. We have reported a higher incidence of <it>HER2 </it>and <it>C-MYC </it>oncogene amplification in breast cancers from A-bomb survivors. The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of A-bomb radiation exposure on genomic instability (GIN), which is an important hallmark of carcinogenesis, in archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of breast cancer by using microarray-comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Tumor DNA was extracted from FFPE tissues of invasive ductal cancers from 15 survivors who were exposed at 1.5 km or less from the hypocenter and 13 calendar year-matched non-exposed patients followed by aCGH analysis using a high-density oligonucleotide microarray. The total length of copy number aberrations (CNA) was used as an indicator of GIN, and correlation with clinicopathological factors were statistically tested.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean of the derivative log ratio spread (DLRSpread), which estimates the noise by calculating the spread of log ratio differences between consecutive probes for all chromosomes, was 0.54 (range, 0.26 to 1.05). The concordance of results between aCGH and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for <it>HER2 </it>gene amplification was 88%. The incidence of <it>HER2 </it>amplification and histological grade was significantly higher in the A-bomb survivors than control group (P = 0.04, respectively). The total length of CNA tended to be larger in the A-bomb survivors (P = 0.15). Correlation analysis of CNA and clinicopathological factors revealed that DLRSpread was negatively correlated with that significantly (P = 0.034, r = -0.40). Multivariate analysis with covariance revealed that the exposure to A-bomb was a significant (P = 0.005) independent factor which was associated with larger total length of CNA of breast cancers.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Thus, archival FFPE tissues from A-bomb survivors are useful for genome-wide aCGH analysis. Our results suggested that A-bomb radiation may affect the increased amount of CNA as a hallmark of GIN and, subsequently, be associated with a higher histologic grade in breast cancer found in A-bomb survivors.</p

Death Rate of Survivors in Nagasaki at Early Time of A-Bomb Explosion

The death rate of survivors at early time after A-bomb explosion was analyzed with the A-bomb disaster survey in Nagasaki city. Survivors who were alive September 1st, 1945 was 20,746 persons, in which 17,869 persons (86.1%) had information for the analysis. The death rate in 1945 of survivors exposed in their houses at less than 1,199 m from the hypocenter was higher than those exposed not in their houses. The death rate of survivors in 1946 decreased rapidly, although that of survivors exposed at less than 1,199 m from the hypocenter was still high

Storing Medical Records of A-Bomb Survivors on Optical Disks

Medical records of A-bomb survivors include numerical data and non-numerical data such as handwritten description. We have been storing the numerical data in medical records into a data base. We started to store the nonnumerical data on optical disks. We analyzed the significance and usefulness of storing them. The nonnumerical data of symptoms can not be evaluated by but can be analyzed with the numerical data. It was concluded that storing non-numerical data in the medical records on the optical disks would be worthy

Factors Determining Satisfaction with Daily Life of Elderly A-bomb Survivors

From the analysis of questionnaires to elderly A-bomb survivors of over 65 years old, we analysed factors which determined satisfaction with daily life. Analysed categories were housing condition, life style, occupational status, health condition and family status. From the analysis, to be an A-bomb survivor was not a factor for satisfaction with daily life, and it became clear that living in a rented room, not satisfying one\u27s job and low income were serious factors which kept elderly people from the satisfaction with daily life. It must be necessary to improve these factors for the satisfaction of elderly people

Discordance between hyposalivation and xerostomia

Individuals with an objective decrease in salivary flow (objective dry mouth) may not be aware of subjective dry mouth (xerostomia). However, no clear evidence exists to explain the discordance between subjective and objective dry mouth. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of xerostomia and decreased salivary flow among community-dwelling elderly adults. In addition, this study assessed several potential demographic and health status determinants of the discrepancy between xerostomia and reduced salivary flow. The 215 participants in this study were community-dwelling older people aged 70 years and above who underwent dental health examinations between January-February 2019. Symptoms of xerostomia were collected in the form of a questionnaire. The unstimulated salivary flow rate (USFR) was measured by a dentist using visual inspection. The stimulated salivary flow rate (SSFR) was measured using the Saxon test. We identified 19.1% of participants as having mild-severe USFR decline with xerostomia and 19.1% as having mild-severe USFR decline without xerostomia. Additionally, 26.0% of participants had low SSFR and xerostomia, and 40.0% had low SSFR without xerostomia. Except for the age trend, no factors could be associated with the discordance between USFR measurement and xerostomia. Furthermore, no significant factors were associated with the discordance between the SSFR and xerostomia. However, females were significantly associated (OR = 2.608, 95% CI = 1.174–5.791) with low SSFR and xerostomia, as compared to males. Age was a factor that was also significantly associated (OR = 1.105, 95% CI = 1.010–1.209) with low SSFR and xerostomia. Our findings indicate that approximately 20% of the participants had low USFR without xerostomia, and 40% had low SSFR without xerostomia. This study showed that age, sex, and the number of medications may not be factors in the discrepancy between the subjective feeling of dry mouth and reduced salivary flow

Detection of Senile Plaque and Neurofibrillary Tangle using Bielschowsky-Hirano\u27s Silver Method

Conventional light microscopic morphometrical investigations were performed on senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in eighteen senile brains. Specimens from the hippocampal region were investigated statistically whether or not there is any difference in detection of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles among the conventional staining methods, that is, Hematoxylin-Eosin stain, Congo red stain, Periodic acid Schiff reaction, Bodian stain and Bielschowsky- Hirano\u27s silver stain. It was clarified that, even in the laboratory without specific antibody to senile plaque and neurofibrillary tangle, Bielschowsky-Hirano\u27s stain is the most useful and convenient staining method for detection of these ageing-related changes

Multiple Myeloma of Atomic Bomb Survivors -Autopsy Cases in the Nagasaki District (1946-1980)-

The present investigation was carried out with particular stress placed on the relationship between the autopsy cases of multiple myeolma in the Nagasaki district and exposure to the Atomic Bomb. A total of 10372 autopsy cases, all patients who had been born before the time of the Atomic Bomb explosion, were examined. Only 58 autopsy cases (0.6%) of multiple myeloma were detected up to 1980. There was no autopsy case of multiple myeloma which had been exposed within 1 km from the hypocenter. The patients who were within 1-2 km and over 2 km from the hypocenter at the time of the Atomic Bomb explosion were composed of 5 cases (0.6%) and 16 cases(0.5%), respectively. The group of non-exposed persons was composed of 36 cases(0.6%). In the patients who were within 1-2 km at the time of the Atomic Bomb explosion, the first 20 years (1945-1965), there was no autopsy case of multiple myeloma, although during the subsequent 15 years (1966-1980) there were 5 autopsy cases (1.2%). In control group, however, multiple myeloma during the first 20 years was 13 cases (0.5%), and it was 24 cases (0.6%) in the subsequent 15 years. It is possible that the frequency of multiple myeloma in exposed persons has increased in recent years. However, the proportions of myeloma among all autopsy cases during the 1946-1965 period and the 1966-1980 period showed no significant differences with other groups