Features of the Course of Various types of Stroke in Patients Exposed to Low-dose Radiation

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is limited number of studies about peculiarities of cardiovascular diseases in population of different region by the zone of radiation exposure risk. AIM: The aim of the study was to study the effect of radiation factor on the pathogenesis of stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To study the in influence of radiation factor on pathogenesis of stroke, 358 stroke patients were distributed based on the place of their residence into corresponding zones of radiation risk: 53 patients lived in zone of extremely high radiation level (488–100 cSV, zone I): 75 - from the zone of maximal radiation exposure (35–100 cSV, zone II), 158 - from zone with high radiation exposure (35–7 cSV, zone III), and 72 patients were the residents of minimal radiation risk (1–7 cSV, zone IV). RESULTS: The study of coagulation hemostasis had revealed the significant increase of fibrinogen level in patients from zone I: 4.7 ± 0.14% versus 3.2 ± 0.11%, in patients living in minimal radiation risk zone (p < 0.01). The patients from extremely high radiation risk had significant decrease in fibrinolysis time in comparison to patients from zone IV (p < 0.05). The primary APS was diagnosed in 24 (6.7%) patients in total group of stroke patients (11 males and 13 females), from which 21 patients with ischemic stroke and 3 with hemorrhagic stroke. Leiden Va defect was found significantly more often in patients lived in high radiation risk zone (9.4%), in 13.5% stroke patients from zone II, in 13.2% patients lived in zone I, in comparison to 6.9% patients lived in zone IV. The patients from zone I had significantly higher level of plasma homocysteine in comparison to patients from other zones, (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the significantly higher levels of plasma homocysteine were found in the group with maximal and high radiation exposure, in comparison to the group of patients from minimal risk zone (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We can see the presence of indirect evidences of modifying influence of radiation factor on pathogenic mechanisms of stroke.