Thyroid cell irradiation by radioiodines: a new Monte Carlo electron track-structure code

The most significant impact of the Chernobyl accident is the increased incidence of thyroid cancer among children who were exposed to short-lived radioiodines and 131-iodine. In order to accurately estimate the radiation dose provided by these radioiodines, it is necessary to know where iodine is incorporated. To do that, the distribution at the cellular level of newly organified iodine in the immature rat thyroid was performed using secondary ion mass microscopy (NanoSIMS50). Actual dosimetric models take only into account the averaged energy and range of beta particles of the radio-elements and may, therefore, imperfectly describe the real distribution of dose deposit at the microscopic level around the point sources. Our approach is radically different since based on a track-structure Monte Carlo code allowing following-up of electrons down to low energies (~ 10eV) what permits a nanometric description of the irradiation physics. The numerical simulations were then performed by modelling the complete disintegrations of the short-lived iodine isotopes as well as of 131I in new born rat thyroids in order to take into account accurate histological and biological data for the thyroid gland.

O impacto mais significante do acidente de Chernobyl é o crescimento da incidência de câncer de tireóide em crianças que foram expostas a radioiodos de vida curta e ao Iodo-131. Na estimativa precisa da dose de radiação fornecida por esses radioiodos, é necessário conhecer onde o iodo está incorporado. Para obtermos esse resultado, a distribuição em nível celular de iodo recentemente organificado na tireóde de ratos imaturos foi realizada usando microscopia de massa iônica secundária (NanoSIMS50). Modelos dosimétricos atuais consideram apenas a energia média das partículas beta dos radioelementos e pode, imperfeitamente descrever a distribuição real de dose ao nível microscópico em torno dos pontos pesquisados. Nossa abordagem é radicalmente diferente desde que é baseada na simulação de Monte Carlo permitindo acompanhar os elétrons de energias menoress (~ 10eV) o que permite uma descrição nanométrica da física da radiação. As simulações numéricas foram então realizadas pelo modelo de desintegração completa de isotopos do iodo de vida curta assim como do Iodo-131 em tireóide de ratos recém nascidos na tentativa de obter resultados biológicos e histológicos de maior precisão para a glândula tireóide.

Is nuclear medicine really safe?

In nuclear medicine, radiation absorbed dose estimates calculated by standard models at the whole body or organ are very low. At cellular level, however, the heterogeneity of radionuclide distributions of radiation dose patterns may be significant. We present here absorbed doses at cellular level and evaluate their possible impact on the usually assumed risk/benefit relationships in nuclear medicine studies. The absorbed dose values calculated are surprisingly high, and are difficult to interpret. In the present study, we show calculated doses at the cellular level and discuss possible biological consequences, for two radiopharmaceuticals labelled with technetium-99m: human serum albumin microspheres used for pulmonary scintigrapies and HMPAO used to labelled leukocytes