Agreement on Cross-sectional Study on Relationship between Comic Ray and Cataract in High Altitude,China

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25460766
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Epidemiology and preventive medicine
• Research Institution: Kagoshima University
• Principal Investigator: akiba suminori 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域医学系, 教授 (50145554)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): UWATOKO futoshi 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域医学系, 助教 (50709350) ; KORIYAMA chihaya 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域医学系, 准教授 (30274814)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 宇宙線 / 水晶体混濁 / 疫学調査

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In Hongyuan (its altitude is around 3500m) and Jiuzhaigou (its altitude is around 1400m), residents were examined with a slit-lamp by a Chinese ophthalmologist to examine the presence of lens opacities. It was found in 35%(7/20) of men and 40% (14/35) of women in Hongyuang, and 9% (2/22) of men and 20％(7/35) of women in Jiuzhaigou. The frequency was significantly higher (P<0.05) in Hongyuang, where the dose of cosmic ray (neutron component) was 2-fold higher than in Jiuzhaigou. Posterior subcapsular lens opacity (PSC), which is considered to be more strongly associated with ionizing radiation than the other types of lens opacities, was found in two residents in Hongyuang but in none in Jiuzhaigou. The relatively high frequency of lens opacities, including PSC, may be due to cosmic ray exposure, but the involvement of UV cannot be denied.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学