Cytokine status in Ukrainian children with irritable bowel syndrome residing in a radioactive contaminated area

The effect of low dose radiation on immune system is shown. Ionizing radiation can affect cytokine production and polarization of T helper cells. The current study focused on ionizing radiation in Ukrainian children residing in a contaminated area with clinical irritable bowel syndrome. Our study included 75 rural children population aged 4-18 yrs, who lived in a contaminated area exposed to natural environmental radiation with clinical irritable bowel syndrome [categorized in three groups] and 20 rural children participants aged 5-15 yrs who were living in areas with similar levels of radioactive contamination without clinical irritable bowel syndrome as control group. Internal radiation activity was measured by gamma-ray spectrometry. Serum levels of IL-4 and IFN-gamma were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. A trend towards increased levels of IL-4 was observed in children with clinical irritable bowel syndrome. In these children, IFN-gamma levels were lower than that of the control group. The IBS symptoms in Ukrainian children residing in a contaminated area may have stemmed from Th1 to Th2 immune deviation and differential expression of IL-4 and IFN-gamma

Dysbiosis in Ukrainian children with irritable bowel syndrome affected by natural radiation

Microbiota has an important role in human metabolism, nutrition, immunity, and protection against colonization by pathogenic microorganisms. Radiation can harm the beneficial members of the gastrointestinal tract flora. Our study included 75 rural children population aged 4-18, who lived in contaminated area exposed to natural environmental radiation with clinically symptom of irritable bowel syndrome and 20 healthy urban participant aged 5-15 as control group. The intestinal bacterial microbiota was examined from stool samples. Our results indicated the population levels of microbiota such as Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus and Bifidbacterium in caecal contents in 61 subjects [81.3%] was significantly less than in control group. We investigated alternation of the intestinal microbiota affecting by ionizing radiation in children with clinically syndrome of irritable bowel syndrome