Pathology and proliferative activity of renal-cell carcinomas (RCCS) and renal oncocytomas in patients with different radiation exposure after the Chernobyl accident in Ukraine

Abstract

During the 13‐year period subsequent to the Chernobyl accident, the morbidity of malignant renal tumors in Ukraine has increased from 4.7 to 7.5 per 100,000 of total population. Cesium 137 (137Cs) accounts for 90% of the incorporated radioactivity in the Ukrainian population, which has been exposed to long‐term, low dose ionizing radiation and 90% of the more labile pool of (137Cs) is excreted via kidneys. The present study was performed to evaluate the histopathological features and the immunohistochemical status of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and K‐ras in renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) of 236 Ukrainian patients (groups I to V), which represents a varying degrees of internal exposure to radiation and were operated in 2 different periods of time after the Chernobyl accident. The control group VI of 112 analog patients with RCCs was selected in Spain. The strong significant differences between the Ukrainian and Spanish groups were found in tumoral nuclear grade, in the percentage of sarcomatoid changes, the level of the peritumoral inflammatory response as well as in the peritumoral lesions. The dramatic increase of aggressivity and proliferative activity supported by strong PCNA and K‐ras expression of RCCs from Ukrainian groups, associated with chronic radiation nephropathy of peritumoral kidney tissue, showed good correlation with the duration of radiation exposure and confirmed the influence of chronic but regular and sustained low dose of ionizing radiation on renal carcinogenesis of the Ukrainian population. Int. J. Cancer 87:880–883, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Renal cell carcinoma: Review of etiology, pathophysiology and risk factors

“…RCCs from Ukraine presented more frequently with sarcomatoid changes with significant differences and less frequent peritumor inflammatory response. The dramatic increase in aggressivity and proliferative activity presenting by PCNA level (83% in comparison to 69%) and K-ras expression (56% in comparison to 38%) of RCCs in Ukrainian groups showed good correlation with the duration of radiation exposure and confirmed the effect of chronic, regular and sustained low dose ionizing radiation on renal carcinogenesis in the Ukrainian population 89 .…”

Extracellular matrix alterations in conventional renal cell carcinomas by tissue microarray profiling influenced by the persistent, long-term, low-dose ionizing radiation exposure in humans

“…Recent studies by our group showed increases in morbidity, aggressivity, and proliferative activity of Conventional renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) in patients living permanently in Cesium 137 ( 137 Cs)-contaminated areas of the Ukraine. We have previously documented for the first time that chronic persistent long-term low-dose IR exposure leads to the development of a previously unknown "radiation sclerosing proliferative atypical nephropathy" in peritumoral kidney tissue and which demonstrated a good correlation with the duration of radiation exposure [21,22].…”

Response from authors of “Extracellular matrix alterations in conventional renal cell carcinomas by tissue microarray profiling influenced by the persistent, long-term, low-dose ionizing radiation exposure in humans”

“…In addition, the influence of chronic, regular, and sustained low-dose IR on renal carcinogenesis in the population living in Cesium 137-contaminated areas of Ukraine has been confirmed [2].…”

“…Recent studies by our group have shown that during the period subsequent to the Chernobyl accident, increases in morbidity, aggressivity, and proliferative activity of renalcell carcinomas (RCCs) in Ukrainian patients were recognized [2]. At the beginning of our study, we did separate patients with RCCs from the city of Kiev and patients with RCCs from radiocontaminated areas.…”