Biologic monitoring and surveillance results for the department of veterans affairs' depleted uranium cohort: Lessons learned from sustained exposure over two decades. Issue 6 (24th April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McDiarmid, Melissa A.; Gaitens, Joanna M.; Hines, Stella; Condon, Marian; Roth, Tracy; Oliver, Marc; Gucer, Patricia; Brown, Lawrence; Centeno, Jose A.; Streeten, Elizabeth; Squibb, Katherine S.
• Is Part Of: American journal of industrial medicine. Volume 58:Issue 6(2015:Jun.)
• Page Start: 583
• Page End: 594
• Publication Date: 2015-04-24
• Subjects: Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Médecine du travail -- Périodiques; 616.9803
• DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22435
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0271-3586

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="ajim22435-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>A small group of Gulf War I veterans wounded in depleted uranium (DU) friendly fire incidents have been monitored in a clinical surveillance program at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore since 1994.</p> </sec> <sec id="ajim22435-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>An in‐patient clinical surveillance protocol was performed on 35 members of the cohort, including exposure monitoring for total and isotopic uranium concentrations in urine and a comprehensive assessment of health outcomes.</p> </sec> <sec id="ajim22435-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Although urine U concentrations continue to be elevated in this group, illustrating on‐going in situ mobilization of U from embedded fragments, no consistent U‐related health effects have been observed.</p> </sec> <sec id="ajim22435-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Now more than 20 years since first exposure to DU, an aging cohort of military veterans continues to show no U‐related health effects in known target organs of U toxicity. As tissue concentrations continue to accrue with exposure duration, critical tissue‐specific U concentration thresholds may be reached, thus recommending on‐going surveillance of this veteran cohort. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:583–594, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.</p> </sec> </abstract>