PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
1998
INTERNATIONAL RADIOLOGICAL POST EMERGENCY
RESPONSE ISSUES CONFERENCE
Washington, D.C. USA
9-11 September 1998
Sponsor:
Co-sponsors:
American Nuclear Society
Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors
Defense Special Weapons Agency, Department of Defense
Department of Energy
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Health and Human Services, Center for DiseaseControl
Health Physics Society, Baltimore-Washington Chapter
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
United States Department of Agriculture
Organized in Cooperation with the
International Atomic Energy Agency
International Radiological Post-EmergencyResponse-Issues Conference
Washington, D.C. September 9-11, 1998 160
Rehabilitation of a Chernobyl Affected PopulationUsing a Detoxification
Method
A.F. Tsyb1, E.M. Parshkov1,J. Barnes2, V.V. Yarzutkin3, N.V. Vorontsov3, V.I. Dedov4
1) Medical RadiologicalResearch Center of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences;Obninsk, Russia.
2) Foundation forAdvancements in Science and Education (FASE); Los Angeles, CA.
3) Kaluga RegionalDetoxification Center; Russia.
4) International Universityof Nature, Society and Man Dubna; Moscow, Russia.
INTRODUCTION
The Chernobyl disaster resulted not only in the acuteexposure of hundreds of thousands of people to various radionuclides, but alsoin a situation where a significant part of the population now lives permanentlyin radioactively contaminated territories. Many residents of the areas sufferfrom chronic stress and radiophobia.1, 2 The situation is exacerbated byrelatively high levels of environmental chemical contamination. Despite this,the present health care in the affected areas is aimed mainly at the medicalexamination of persons and the diagnosis of diseases. Some programs dealingwith specific aspects of the problem have been suggested and implemented, withinconclusive results.
Recently,a treatment modality has been examined which appears to offer the broadspectrumapproach necessary to address the range of problems resulting from theChernobyl incident. The use of the detoxification method developed by L. RonHubbard has been described in the literature as a safe and effective means forremoval from the body of specific toxic substances accumulated in the processof work activity. Detoxification procedures have been demonstrated to removevarious xenobiotics, mainly with lipophilic properties,3,4 and to removechlororganic compounds.5 A number of case histories6 exist where thedetoxification method produced a remission of physical and mental complaintsthat attending physicians have associated with the relative high radiationdoses received by individuals (liquidators) involved in cleanup work at theChernobyl site.
Ina cooperative effort between the Medical Radiological Research Center of theRussian Academy of Medical Sciences C RAMS) and Human Detoxification ServicesInternational (HDSI) of Great Britain, a group of twenty-four males aged 20 to40 years old underwent detoxification using the Hubbard protocol. Participantswere long-term residents of contaminated areas. The purpose of this work was toperform a International Radiological Post-Emergency Response-IssuesConference Washington, D.C. September 9-11, 1998 161 broad examinationof the effects of the human detoxification program as it applies to the removalof to)dc substances, xenobiotics, and radioactive Cesium-137 (Cs-137) from thehuman body. In addition, an assay of the effects of the method on the physicalprocesses of the body was performed.
DISCUSSION
The Hubbard detoxification program includes a daily regimenof one-half hour of moderate physical exercise (jogging), followed by up tofour and a half hours of intermittent thermal procedures (i.e., moderatetemperature sauna with periodic cool down).The detoxification regimen includes specific criteria by which theoptimum rate of progress of each individual can be monitored and assured.Vitamin and mineral supplementation is administered based upon a standardizeddosage scale modified by daily medical supervision and patient reporting ofsymptoms and perception of general health.
Theuse of psychodiagnostic testing and daily written debriefs enables the programadministrator to establish the rate of progress of the patient and to determinethe endpoint of the program more precisely. A typical course of treatment takesapproximately two to three weeks.7
Inthis study, twenty-four males aged 20 to 40 years old from the KlimovskDistrict of the Bryansk Region participated. All of the participants werelong-term residents of radioactively contaminated areas. The participants wererandomly selected from the registry database of individuals with confirmed bodyburdens exceeding levels of 5,000 kilobecquerel (kBq) of radioactive cesium.For better uniformity of the group, the individuals were selected from asettlement with similar socioeconomic levels. Because of the requirements forrelatively robust Physical activity during the detoxification procedure,participants received preliminary examinations to ensure that they did not havephysical or mental conditions that contraindicated participation in theprocedure (e.g., oncological diseases, acute infections, mental disorders,decompensated somatic diseases, etc.)Three potential participants were excludedfrom the program, as they could not meet the above requirements.
Inaddition to standard physical examination and clinical tests, specialexaminations were conducted in order to determine various physical responses tothe program (i.e., extended biochemical blood tests; cellular andhumoral immunity status evaluations, assay of thyroid hormone levels,estimation of antioxidant activity in the blood serum, and evaluation of thefunctional activity of neutrophils). Diagnostic psychological evaluations(including both objective and subjective evaluations of self-perception,activity, moods, and emotional reactions) were also conducted. When indicatedon an individual basis, the participants were provided additionally withechocardiography, International Radiological Post-EmergencyResponse-Issues ConferenceWashington, D.C. September 9-11, 1998 162ultrasound, dopplerography, rheovasography, fibroscopy, x-ray imaging,caprologic examination, etc. A series of tests reflecting a functional state ofthe heart, liver, kidneys, and pancreas was conducted. In addition, lipidexchange and microelement metabolism were monitored. In all, twenty-twobiochemical parameters of the blood were evaluated. In most cases, theparameters observed varied within accepted normal ranges. The most notablefluctuations were an increase of conjugated bilirubin in blood serum, thedecrease of glucose and triglycerides, and the reduction ofglutamiltransaminase activity.
Thefunctional status of each patients immune system was estimated from the levelof immunoglobulins in serum (normal antibodies to rat erythrocytes detected byhemaglutination reaction) and from the determination of the functional state ofthe thymus gland through the use of a proprietary immunodeficiency analyzer(Helper). During the course of detoxification, each patient displayed apronounced elevation of the intensity of spontaneous chemoluminescence ofpolymorphonuclear lymphocytes of the blood and increased antioxidant activityin the blood serum. These reactions are considered to be the response toelevated levels of toxins, free radicals, and peroxides in the blood. The mosttypical effects were such improvements as a decrease in heterophylic antibodytiters and the normalization of thymic function. In addition, the positivechanges in the immune parameters in patients were confirmed to still be presentone year after the rehabilitation treatment.
Nosignificant negative impacts on the immune system were noted. At the end of thedetoxification program the level of integral antioxidant activity returned tothe initial activity in almost all the patients. A year after the completion ofthe program, the level of antioxidant activity was found to have increased 2-3fold over the predetoxification levels. This finding suggests thatdetoxification may have rehabilitated the immune system, and that these levelsreflect the bodys now more successful resistance to the chemically andradiologically contaminated environment. The thyroid system was studied on thebasis of measurements of thyroid hormones (FT3, FT4, TSH). Starting from theinitial days of the program, the thyroid system was shown to respond by theenhanced secretion of thyroid hormone hypophysis into the blood stream and,respectively, the decrease of free triiodothyronine level and, to a lesserdegree, of thyronine. Two explanations of these observations exist. On the onehand, these results may be considered as the development of an acute phase ofsubclinical hypothyrosis in response to the physical challenges of the program(i.e., exercises, sauna, and high doses of vitamins) with the concurrentrelease of xenobiotics and other catabolic products into blood. On the otherhand, hypothyrosis may also be explained by the extensive spending of thyroidhormones in response to the above-mentioned factors.
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The thyroid gland responded adequately to thesystemic s induced by detoxification. This view is supported by the fact thatthe thyroid function had renormalized three weeks after the end of the programand that long-term examinations performed nine and twelve months after therehabilitation demonstrated that the level of thyroid hormones were within thelimits of a normal physiological range.
A series of in vivo measurements of radioactive Cesium-137were performed on all participants prior to and during the program. Ratescomputed from these measurements were compared to elimination rates expectedfrom routine physical processes. While Cesium-137 was reliably detected in thesweat of all the patients, an evident acceleration of Cesium-137 eliminationwas not found. However, an earlier study involving a group of 14 childrenexposed as a result of Chernobyl did
find significant accelerationof elimination. We suspect that this discrepancy may be attributable tometabolic differences between children and adults, especially with regard tothe metabolism of potassium (the pathway which cesium follows in the body.)This would be a fruitful area for further research.
Thisconsultation of the patients feelings and observations about how he isprogressing on the program is a standard feature of the program. During thistrial, additional objective testing methods were also utilized. The results ofthe evaluation of the participants psychosocial states were particularlyinteresting. Analysis of data reveals a significant (p<0.05) positive changein the psychoemotional status of the program participants. Anxiety decreasedfrom 23.48% to 9.09%, activity and ability to work increased from 40.9% to46.96% and from 60.24% to 80.36%, respectively. This correlates with changes inindividual status, levels, and ways of adaptation according to SMIL tests andSOC method. Such conditions are interpreted as a reduction of unproductivehypochondriac symptomatics, decrease of anxiety, increase of spontaneity andactivity, increased self-confidence, renewed motivation for achievement, anincreased searching activity and self-sufficiency. Results of the diagnosticsof self estimation level showed that in most of the patients, positive changesoccurred not only in the objective characteristics of psychological adaptation,but also in the subjective sense estimation of the individual as a person. Nonegative manifestations in mental status or organism comfort were noted. Nodecompensated disorders of major regulatory and life maintaining systems wererevealed during the course of detoxification.
Follow-upexaminations of the participants conducted at one and nine months after thecompletion of the program indicated that chronic diseases present at the startof the detoxification study were in lengthy remission, and an improvement inresistance to acute respiratory diseases was noted in a number of patients.
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CONCLUSION
There is evidence suggesting that the programrevitalizes the immune system and improves the general physical condition ofthe participant. In spite of its robust regimen, there is an absence ofnegative health effects. While out of normal range fluctuations of several keybiochemical parameters were noted during the process, the deviated parametersrenormalized upon completion of the course of treatment. In addition, thedetoxification program devised by Hubbard possesses a powerfulpsychotherapeutic potential that has been associated with significantimprovement in the general health of the participant. Increases in physical andmental endurance, activity level and resistance against stress can be expected.The specific physical processes induced by the detoxification method have notbeen fully examined at this time. Further research into these areas would bevaluable. Nevertheless, it is our opinion that the detoxification method holdsgreat promise as a general treatment for a number of non-specific symptomsassociated with living in the contaminated areas of the Chernobyl disaster.
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6. Unpublished Data. HumanDetoxification Services International. East Grinstead, Sussex, Great Britain.
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7. Hubbard, Ron. Clear Body -Clear Mind. Copenhagen: 1990. Bridge Publications.
8. Medical Rehabilitation of PersonsAffected by Stress and Negative Ecological Factors. MethodicalReconnnendations. Moscow: 1996. (In Russian)