Induction of adaptive response to chronic environmental and occupational exposure to radiation

The paper summarizes results of medical examination of two groups of patients, the public members resided in high natural background radiation areas and occupationally irradiated nuclear and health workers. Adaptive response to chronic exposure to radiation was found to last much time and, thus, its impact on the development of late health effects, including cancer, may be great. In vitro studies demonstrate that induction of adaptive response is the multistep process including the excision reparation of nucleotides, nonhomologous DNA ends joining, antioxidative system and cell cycle control factors. The review presents data on effects of low doses radiation of high or low relative radiation effectiveness(RBE). Some damaged peripheral blood lymphocytes demonstrated increased radioresistance to high radiation doses, results of examinations of both the public members and professionals.