Parameters affecting EPR dose reconstruction in teeth.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the lower limit of detection (LLD), linearity of dose response, variation of radiation sensitivity between different tooth enamel samples, and time/temperature stability of EPR biodosimetry in tooth enamel. The theoretical LLD is shown to be 0.46 mGy, which is far lower than the measured value of about 30 mGy. The main issues to lowering LLD are the differentiation of the radiation-induced component against the total EPR spectrum and the complex nature of the dose dependence of the EPR signal. The following questions are also discussed in detail: need for exfoliated or extracted teeth from persons of interest, accounting for background radiation contribution; conversion of tooth enamel absorbed dose to effective dose; accounting for internal exposure specifically from bone-seeking radionuclides. Conclusions on future development of EPR retrospective biodosimetry are made.

Current issues on EPR dose reconstruction in tooth enamel.

This paper focuses on the opportunities to gain risk assessment information from populations exposed to ionizing radiation. Details are presented on the scale of the nuclear events in several areas within the former Soviet Union. An overview of the issues associated with dose reconstruction by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is given. Principles and outline of the EPR tooth enamel dose assessment are described. Technical details, the latest achievements and the problems of each procedural step are analyzed. In addition, the present accuracy of the EPR dose reconstruction, its problems and cost are discussed.

Endovascular irradiation from beta-particle-emitting gold stents results in increased neointima formation in a porcine restenosis model.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that ionizing radiation reduces neointima formation after balloon angioplasty and stent implantation in experimental models of restenosis and first clinical trials. The objective of this study was to determine the dose distribution of a new beta-particle-emitting radioactive gold stent and to evaluate the dose-dependent vascular response in the coronary overstretch pig model. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixteen Göttinger minipigs underwent placement of 11 nonradioactive and 36 beta-particle-emitting stents with activity levels of 10.4+/-0.6, 14.9+/-2.4, 22.8+/-1.3, 35.8+/-2. 8, and 55.4+/-5.3 microCi of (198)Au. Three months after implantation, the percent area stenosis, neointimal thickness, neointimal area, and vessel injury were analyzed by quantitative histomorphometry. The lifetime radiation doses at a depth of 1 mm were 3.3+/-0.2, 4.7+/-0.5, 7.2+/-0.4, 11.4+/-0.9, and 17.6+/-1.7 Gy for the different activity groups. No dose-response relationship was observed in the radioactive stents with respect to percent area stenosis (P=0.297), mean neointimal thickness (P=0.82), or mean neointimal area (P=0.65). Significantly lower neointima formation and less luminal narrowing was seen in the control group than in the beta-particle-emitting stents (P<0.001). Multilinear regression analysis revealed that only radioactivity made a significant independent contribution to the degree of percent area stenosis (P<0. 001). CONCLUSIONS: Neointima formation in pigs is markedly increased by beta-particle-emitting stents with (198)Au as the radioisotope. This study provides evidence that dosages of 3 to 18 Gy of low-dose-rate beta-particle irradiation via endovascular stents cause pronounced luminal narrowing in the animal model at 3 months.

Reproducibility study of TLD-100 micro-cubes at radiotherapy dose level.

The precision of the thermoluminescent response of Harshaw micro-cube dosimeters (TLD-100), evaluated in both Harshaw thermoluminescent readers 5500 and 3500, for 1 Gy dose value, was investigated. The mean reproducibility for micro-cubes, pre-readout annealed at 100 degrees C for 15 min, evaluated with the manual planchet reader 3500, is 0.61% (1 standard deviation). When micro-cubes are evaluated with the automated hot-gas reader 5500, reproducibility values are undoubtedly worse, mean reproducibility for numerically stabilised dosimeters being equal to 3.27% (1 standard deviation). These results indicate that the reader model 5500, or, at least, the instrument used for the present measurements, is not adequate for micro-cube evaluation, if precise and accurate dosimetry is required. The difference in precision is apparently due to geometry inconsistencies in the orientation of the imperfect micro-cube faces during readout, requiring careful and manual reproducible arrangement of the selected micro-cube faces in contact with the manual reader planchet.

Physical and biological interface dose effects in tissue due to X-ray-induced release of secondary radiation from metallic gold surfaces.

Dose enhancement up to more than a factor of 100 was found in an environment of tissue-equivalent polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) close to the surface of a thin metallic gold foil. The enhancement factors were determined for heavily filtered X rays (40 to 120 kV tube potential) under backscatter conditions, using thin-film radiation detectors with sub-micrometer resolution. The secondary electrons were found to range up to some 10 microm in tissue-equivalent material. Correspondingly, enhanced biological effects could be shown in vitro, using monolayers of C3H 10T1/2 mouse embryo fibroblasts exposed in intimate contact with the gold surface. The decay of the survival curves of cells irradiated on gold was significantly steeper than for those obtained from irradiation between PMMA disks with the same dose, also giving biological evidence for significantly enhanced doses at the gold interface. The shape of the inactivation curves resembled those for high-LET radiation, lacking a pronounced shoulder at the lower doses. Quantitatively, doses of e.g. 50 mGy (80 kV X rays) in homogeneous PMMA caused about 35% cell killing and 200 mGy about 80% when the cells were irradiated at the gold surface. From a comparison of these inactivation numbers with those found for irradiation between PMMA disks, biological dose enhancement factors for the cell system considered ranged up to about a factor of 50. In addition to cell inactivation, the in vitro irradiations of C3H 10T1/2 cells adjacent to the gold surface resulted in increased rates of oncogenic transformation. A dose of 100 mGy 80 kV X rays (measured in homogeneous PMMA) caused a frequency at an inserted gold surface comparable to that obtained with a dose of about 4.5 Gy of 60Co gamma rays in homogeneous PMMA.

Use of Chinese LiF:Mg,Cu,P (GR-200) TL detectors at therapy-level absorbed doses.

The objective was to find out whether or not the highly radiation-sensitive Chinese thermoluminescent (TL) LiF:Mg,Cu,P (GR-200) detector pellets can be used in therapy-level dosimetry. For this purpose the precision was investigated at an absorbed dose level of 1 Gy using a commercial TL read-out instrument. Relative standard deviations, sigma rel, of the individual calibration factors were found to be in the range between 0.2% and 0.6% from 30 randomly selected detectors, with the mean at 0.37%. Apart, linearity checks between 1 and 6 Gy resulted into a sublinear response of up to -4% which was successfully corrected for by a third-order polynomial curve fit. The residual signal turned out to be about 0.1% after one annealing cycle almost independent of the applied dose, and this figure could be reduced by two more decades after repeated annealing cycles.

Numerical signal treatment for optimized alanine/ESR dosimetry in the therapy-level dose range.

Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra of alanine detectors irradiated to absorbed doses below 5 Gy are affected by a varying non-linear background which mainly influences the lower limit of detection in alanine/ESR dosimetry. A mathematical method based on fast Fourier transform is described capable of filtering simultaneously background and noise in the frequency domain of ESR spectra. It provides clearer alanine/ESR signals down to 50 mGy. Even in non-irradiated but long-term stored alanine detectors an ESR signal could be observed similar to irradiated alanine (pre-signal). A linear ESR signal vs absorbed dose relationship was found above 200 mGy, after correction for background and pre-signal. The number of repeated ESR read-out cycles and hence the time required for a precise and reliable low-dose evaluation have significantly been reduced. The method has been worked out for the therapy-level dosimetry range and tested on a Bruker ESP 300 and for comparison Bruker EMS 104 ESR spectrometer.

Aspects of retrospective ESR dosimetry (invited paper).

A review is given on the major technological and methodological aspects of retrospective ESR dosimetry with tooth enamel. Topics include the collection and preparation of samples, the evaluation, treatment and interpretation of the ESR signals, and the procedure of dose reconstruction. Two pathways are described to differentiate between doses from different internal and external sources. They are based on dose comparisons as evaluated from different tooth issues or from dose vs age dependencies obtained by ESR dosimetry from populations with different exposure conditions. The concepts given are illustrated by recently achieved ESR doses that were reconstructed from teeth of radiation workers and members of the public of the Southern Urals region, Russia.

Dose estimation by ESR spectroscopy at a fatal radiation accident.

In Norway, 1982, a fatal radiation accident occurred at a radioactive cobalt source used for radiation processing. There was a lack of realistic estimates on the victim's tissue or body doses up to his death. GSF was able to provide the first reliable dose values, upon request from Norwegian colleagues. Dosimetry was performed by ESR spectroscopy of long-lived radiation-induced radicals that could be measured in the heart tablets of the victim. The concentration of the free radicals proved, by proper calibration, to be proportional to dose. Procedures and dose results are reported; comparison is made with data from literature dealing with the same subject and also using TL as well as ESR. For biological relevance, the doses as determined from the tablets are converted into whole-body doses.

[Properties, effectiveness and thermal processing of thermoluminescent dosimetry material]. / Eigenschaften, Einflussgrössen und thermische Behandlungen von TLD-Materialien.

Under dosimetric terms, TLD materials are part of the TLD system. A rating of their dosimetric properties and of effects of influence quantiés cannot solely be based on their physical properties but requires the consideration of influences also of the other components of the respective TLD system, TLD evaluation programme and TLD operator. Taking into account all criteria, coefficients of variation of around 0.1% were achieved for reproducibility measurements with individual TLDs. A fast method for pre and post annealing is proposed.

[Radiation exposure of the dentist]. / Zur Strahlenexposition des Zahnarztes

The radiation dosis per person undergoing dental treatment measured at the trunk is rather considerable, though not alarming. However, the number of people whose hands has been exposed to radiation as well as the individual extent of exposure were unexpectedly high. The radiation dosis measured at the hands was about 100 times bigger than the radiation dosis determined at the trunk for the whole body. Although these results may be very impressive, it should be borne in mind that the data on which the investigation was based date from 1967/68 and may no longer be fully applicable to the present situation. Whether and to what extent this assumption is justified ought to found out by control studies regarding radiation dosis per person and Röpak programs which are presently being started and whose results will be discussed in this journal.