SCIENTIFIC AND INFORMATION-ANALYTICAL MAGAZINE

ISSN 1024-6177 (Print), ISSN 2618-9615 (Online)

Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2026. Vol. 71. № 2

DOI:10.33266/1024-6177-2026-71-2-33-39

T.V. Azizova1, E.V. Bragin1, M.V. Bannikova1, N. Hamada2, E.S. Grigoryeva1

The Incidence Risk for Primary Glaucoma and Its Subtypes following Chronic Exposure to Ionizing Radiation in the Russian Cohort of Mayak Nuclear Workers

1 Southern Urals Federal Research and Clinical Center, Ozyorsk, Russia

2 Biology and Environmental Chemistry Division, Sustainable System Research Laboratory,
Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), Chiba 270-1194, Japan

Contact person: Tamara Azizova, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the incidence risk of primary glaucoma in a cohort of workers affected by chronic exposure.

Material and methods: The studied cohort included all workers first employed at one of the main production facilities of the Mayak Production Association (reactor, radiochemical, and plutonium production plants) between 1948 and 1982, with follow-up until the end of 2018 (n=22,377; 25.4 % women). The average age at hiring was 24.11 (±7.13) years for men and 27.32 (±7.97) years for women (mean ± standard deviation (SD)). The average length of professional employment at the enterprise was 18.04 (±14.28) years. Mean total absorbed dose of external gamma radiation in the brain was 0.46 (±0.67) Gy for men and 0.36 (±0.56) Gy for women. Mean total absorbed dose of neutron radiation was 0.0016 (±0.0043) Gy and 0.0016 (±0.0050) Gy for men and women, respectively. Only confirmed cases of primary glaucoma (572 cases) were included into the analysis. Statistical analysis included estimation of the relative risk (RR) for categorized variables, adjusted for other factors. The excess relative risk per unit dose (ERR/Gy) was estimated using a linear dependence on the total external gamma radiation dose, adjusted (via stratification) for non-radiation factors (sex, attained age, birth cohort) and neutron radiation dose.

Results: A statistically significant relative risk of normal tension glaucoma was found only in the group of workers who received external gamma radiation dose exceeding 1.0 Gy and made up 1.88 (95 % CI: 1.01–3.54; p = 0.047). Dose-response analysis in the cohort of chronically occupationally exposed workers revealed a statistically significant linear relationship between the incidence of normal tension glaucoma and the total dose of external gamma radiation (ERR/Gy = 0.53; 95 % CI: 0.01–1.68; p < 0.05). No statistically significant association was registered between the incidence of primary open-angle glaucoma or primary angle-closure glaucoma and the total dose of external gamma radiation in the studied cohort of workers.

Keywords: primary glaucoma, normal-tension glaucoma, high-tension glaucoma, incidence, Mayak worker cohort, occupational chronic radiation exposure, gamma-ray exposure

For citation: Azizova TV, Bragin EV, Bannikova MV, Hamada N, Grigoryeva ES. The Incidence Risk for Primary Glaucoma and Its Subtypes following Chronic Exposure to Ionizing Radiation in the Russian Cohort of Mayak Nuclear Workers. Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2026;71(2):33–39. (In Russian). DOI:10.33266/1024-6177-2026-71-2-33-39

 

References

  1. World Health Organization (WHO). The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders. Genève, Switzerland, World Health Organization, 1993.
  2. Le A., Mukesh B.N., McCarty, C.A., Taylor H.R. Risk Factors Associated with the Incidence of Open-Angle Glaucoma: the Visual Impairment Project. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2003;44:3783–3789. Doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.16161.
  3. Leske M.C., Wu S.Y., Hennis A., Honkanen R., Nemesure B. BESs Study Group. Risk Factors for Incident Open-Angle Glaucoma: the Barbados Eye Studies. Ophthalmology. 2008;115:85–93. Doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2007.03.017.
  4. Fry W.E. Secondary Glaucoma, Cataract and Retinal Generation Following Radiation. Trans. Am. Acad. Ophthalmol. Otolaryngol. 1952;56:888–889. PMID: 13005553.
  5. Bothman L. Glaucoma Following Irradiation Pathologic Report. Arch. Ophthalmol. 1940;23;6:1198–1212.
  6. Jones R.F. Glaucoma Following Radiotherapy. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 1958;42:636–638. Doi: 10.1136/bjo.42.10.636.
  7. Hamada N., Azizova T.V., Little M.P. Glaucomagenesis Following Ionizing Radiation Exposure. Mutat. Res. Rev. Mutat. Res. 2019;779:36-44. Doi: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2019.01.001.
  8. Stewart F.A., Akleyev A.V., Hauer-Jensen M., et al. Statement on Tissue Reactions. Early and Late Effects of Radiation in Normal Tissues and Organs – Threshold Doses for Tissue Reactions in a Radiation Protection Context. ICRP Publication, 118. Ann. ICRP. 2012. 41(1/2).
  9. Kiuchi Y., Yokoyama T., Takamatsu M., Tsuiki E., Uematsy M., Kinoshita H., et al. Glaucoma in Atomic Bomb Survivors. Radiat. Res. 2013;180:422–430. Doi: 10.1667/RR3273.2.
  10. Little M.P., Kitahara C.M., Cahoon E.K., Bernier M.-O., Velazquez-Kronen R., Doody M., et al. Occupational Radiation Exposure and Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration in the US Radiologic Technologists. Sci. Rep. 2018;8:10481. Doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-28620-6.
  11. Bragin E.V., Azizova T.V., Bannikova M.V., Grigoryeva E.S., Hamada N. Glaucoma Incidence Risk in a Cohort of Mayak PA Workers Occupationally Exposed to Ionizing Radiation. Sci. Rep. 2019;9:12469. Doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-48915-6.
  12. Hamada N., Azizova T.V., Little M.P. An Update on Effects of Ionizing Radiation Exposure on the Eye. Br. J. Radiol. 2020;93:20190829. Doi: 10.1259/bjr.20190829.
  13. Little M.P., Azizova T.V., Hamada N. Low- and Moderate-Dose Non-Cancer Effects of Ionizing Radiation in Directly Exposed Individuals, Especially Circulatory and Ocular Diseases: a Review of the Epidemiology. Int. J. Radiat. Biol 2021;97:782–803. Doi: 10.1080/09553002.2021.1876955.
  14. Kiuchi Y., Yanagi M., Itakura K., Takahashi I., Hida A., Ohishi W., Furukawa K. Association Between Radiation, Glaucoma Subtype, and Retinal Vessel Diameter in Atomic Bomb Survivors. Sci. Rep. 2019;9:8642. Doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-45049-7.
  15. Kruglov A. The History of the Soviet Atomic Industry. London, Taylor and Francis, 2002. 288 p.
  16. Azizova T.V., Day R.D., Wald N., Muirhead C.R., O’Hagan J.A., Sumina M.V., et al. The “Clinic” Medical-Dosimetric Database of Mayak Production Association Workers: Structure, Characteristics and Prospects of Utilization. Health Phys. 2008;94:449–458. Doi: 10.1097/01.HP.0000300757.00912.a2.
  17. Национальное руководство по глаукоме: для практикующих врачей / Под ред. Е.А.Егорова, В.П.Еричева. М.: ГЭОТАР-МЕДИА, 2019. 384 с. [Nacional’noe Rukovodstvo po Glaukome = National Guidance on Glaucoma: for Practitioners. Ed. E.A.Egorov, V.P.Erichev. Moscow, GEOTAR-Media Publ., 2019. 384 p. (In Russ.)].
  18. Napier B.A. The Mayak Worker Dosimetry System (MWDS-2013): an Introduction to the Documentation. Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 2017;176:6–9. Doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncx020.
  19. Fountos B.N. The Department of Energy’s Russian Health Studies Program. Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 2017;176:3–5. Doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncw329.
  20. ICRP. Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. ICRP Publication 103. Ann. ICRP. 2007. 37 (2-4).
  21. Preston D., Lubin J., Pierce D., McConney M. Epicure Users Guide. Seattle, Hirosoft, 1993.
  22. Akaike H. A New Look at Statistical Model Identification. IEEE Trans Automat Control. 1974;19:716223.
  23. Walsh L. A Short Review of Model Selection Techniques for Radiation Epidemiology. Radiat. Environ. Biophys. 2007;46:205–213. Doi: 10.1007/s00411-007-0109-0.
  24. Azizova T.V., Bragin E.V., Hamada N., Bannikova M.V. Risk of Cataract Incidence in a Cohort of Mayak PA Workers following Chronic Occupational Radiation Exposure. PLoS ONE. 2016;11:e0164357. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164357.
  25. Azizova T.V., Hamada N., Grigoryeva E.S., Bragin E.V. Risk of Various Types of Cataracts in a Cohort of Mayak Workers Following Chronic Occupational Exposure to Ionizing Radiation. Eur. J. Epidemiol. 2018;33:1193–1204. Doi: 10.1007/s10654-018-0450-4.
  26. Azizova T.V., Hamada N., Bragin E.V., Bannikova M.V., Grigoryeva E.S. Risk of Cataract Removal Surgery in Mayak PA Workers Occupationally Exposed to Ionizing Radiation over Prolonged Periods. Radiat. Environ. Biophys. 2019;58:139–149. Doi: 10.1007/s00411-019-00787-0.
  27. Fernandes B.F., Weisbrod D., Yücel Y.H., Follwell M., Krema H., Heydarian M., et al. Neovascular Glaucoma after Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Juxtapapillary Choroidal Melanoma: Histopathologic and Dosimetric Findings. Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 2011;80:377–384. Doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2010.04.073.
  28. Simonová G., Novotny J., Liscák R., Pilbauer J. Leksell Gamma Knife Treatment of Uveal Melanoma. J. Neurosurg. 2002;97;5 Suppl:635–639. Doi: 10.3171/jns.2002.97.supplement.
  29. Bosworth J.L., Packer S., Rotman M., Ho T., Finger P.T. Choroidal Melanoma: I-125 Plaque Therapy. Radiology. 1988;169:249–251. Doi: 10.1148/radiology.169.1.342026.
  30. Katsura M., Urade Y., Nansai H., Kobayashi M., Izumi-Taguchi A., Ishikawa Y., et al. Low-Dose Radiation Disrupts the Transcription Cascade of PAX6. PREPRINT (Version 1) Available at Research Square. 21 September 2021. Doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-825407. 

 

 

 PDF (RUS) Full-text article (in Russian)

 

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Financing. The study had no sponsorship.

Contribution. Article was prepared with equal participation of the authors.

Article received: 20.01.2026. Accepted for publication: 25.02.2026.

 

© Журнал "Медицинская радиология и радиационная безопасность" 2020г.

Яндекс.Метрика

Наверх