German uranium miner study - Pathological and molecular genetic findings

Uranium miners of the former Wismut company in Germany form the largest coh ort of workers exposed to in and dust in the world. The German Uranium Mine r Study, Research Group Pathology, is evaluating the central pathology arch ive of the Wismut company. The main tasks of our study are patholagical-ana tomical and molecular genetic investigations of 28,975 autopsy cases and th e evaluation of mining pollutants in the lungs by neutron activation analys is. As part of an observer agreement study, lung tumors are classified acco rding to the WHO/IASLC classification and nontumorigenic lung disorders are registered. Lung tumors were analyzed for the presence of a proposed radon -specific mutation in the TP53 gene (formerly known as p53). Interim result s are: (a) In the years 1957 to 1965, a high rate (69%) of small cell carci nomas was found which had declined to 34% by 1990. (b) The percentage of th e deceased who suffered from silicosis is not higher in the group of lung t umors than in other tumor groups or the nontumor group. (c) The hypothesis of a radon-characteristic hotspot mutation in the TP53 tumor suppressor gen e is not supported by our investigations. (d) Neutron activation analysis d emonstrates that uranium, arsenic, chromium, cobalt and antimony can be fou nd in tissue samples from the miners even when they had stopped working mor e than 20 years before death. (C) 1999 by Radiation Research Society.