Occupational Exposure of Diagnostic Technicians to X-Ray May Change Some Liver Functions and Proteins

Abstract

Introduction: The most common impact of X-ray is the induction of cancer after chronic exposure. The current study was conducted to investigate the effects of low X-ray doses on some liver functions and proteins among diagnostic technicians working at Kirkuk hospitals, Kirkuk, Iraq. To this purpose, the parameters, such aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total protein, albumin, globulin, serum ferritin (s.ferritin), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) were measured in this study. Material and Methods: In total, 20 male diagnostic technicians with a mean age of 39.55±10.02 years participated in this study. On the other hand, 20 male healthy controls with a mean age of 39.9±10.29 years were selected from outside of the hospitals. Five ml of blood was taken from each individual (technicians and controls). All parameters were measured with their own techniques. Results: According to the results, significant increase (p <0.001) was observed in the levels AST, ALT, and s.ferritin; however, there were remarkable decreases in the values of MDA, total protein, albumin, globulin, and GSH (p <0.001) among diagnostic technicians, compared to the control group. Conclusion: Based on the results, it was revealed that chronic exposure to low X-rays doses from conventional X-ray machine may change significantly the values of ALT, AST, s. ferritin, MDA, total protein, albumin, globulin, and GSH in diagnostic technicians who are exposed to an overdose at their workplace. It is importance to utilize radiation protection tools, hold training courses, and follow up the technicians to reduce the effect of radiation on these individuals.