The soluble receptor ST2 is positively associated with occupational exposure to radiation

Abstract

Purpose Radiation exposure, besides the risk of cancer, may also increase the risk of non-cancer diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study investigates whether the soluble form of the ST2 receptor (sST2), an emerging prognostic marker in patients with CVD, can be used to monitor the CVD risk in individuals occupationally exposed to radiation.

Materials and methods sST2 in blood plasma from 69 individuals, 45 workers from the nuclear industry and 24 controls, was analyzed using enzyme-linked assay (ELISA). Total antioxidant status (TAS) of blood plasma and levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in lymphocytes were determined by colorimetric and fluorescence assays.

Results The data suggest a 5-fold increase in the number of subjects with sST2 levels above the clinical threshold and a 10-fold increase in the number of subjects with TAS levels outside the reference range in the exposed group when compared to the group of non-exposed individuals. The strongest up-regulation of TAS was measured in the group of younger workers with cumulative doses not exceeding 50 mSv.

Conclusion The present study may represent an initial step towards the establishment of sST2 as a biomarker for CVD risk estimation in the context of radiation exposure.

Keywords:

• Blood plasma
• peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)
• cardiovascular disease (CVD)
• soluble ST2 receptor
• total antioxidant status (TAS) of blood plasma

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Drs J. Djounova and I. Guleva for their assistance in collecting blood samples and interpretation of clinical outcomes.

The study was financed by the budget of NCRRP in the framework of a contract N 81300066/2012 between NCRRP and “Kozloduy” NPP.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.