LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF HIGH-DOSE TOTAL-BODY IRRADIATION ON HEPATICAND RENAL-FUNCTION IN PRIMATES

Radiation effects in non-human primates were studied in order to defin e the long-term risk of total-body irradiation (TBI) for bone marrow t ransplantation patients. The long-term effects of TBI could be investi gated by keeping 84 monkeys of different ages, from an experiment on a cute effects, under continuous observation for a period up to 25 years . The control group consisted of non-irradiated monkeys with a compara ble age distribution and identical housing conditions. Since radiation was the common toxic agent, the different age groups provided the pos sibility to investigate the occurrence of deterministic effects after TBI. In the present study emphasis was placed on the assessment of hep atic and renal function and the associated histopathology. The values of the liver function parameters, such as alkaline phosphatase and gam ma glutamyl transferase in the irradiated group were significantly inc reased after TBI (p < 0 . 05). Also the parameters of kidney dysfuncti on, e.g. haematocrit and blood urea nitrogen showed a significant chan ge in the irradiated old-aged (post-irradiated interval >15 years) coh ort (p < 0 . 005). The impairment of the liver and renal functions, di d not lead to clinical symptoms and were only associated with mild mor phologic changes in the irradiated group of monkeys. In the population of bone marrow transplant patients treated with TBI, alterations in h epatic and renal function parameters after a post-irradiated interval of > 10 years can be anticipated. This could have consequences for the tolerance and toxicity of a broad range of drugs to be administered a s additional medications.