Melanie Weiss

Publications of Melanie Weiss

• Thyroid examination in highly radiation-exposed workers after the Chernobyl accident.

  Authors: Bernhard Boehm, Marianna Steinert, Johannes Dietrich, Ralf Peter, David Belyi, Gerard Wagemaker, Silke Rosinger, Theodor Fliedner, Melanie Weiss

  European journal of endocrinology / European Federation of Endocrine Societies. 02/2009;

  Context: Radioactive contamination from the Chernobyl nuclear accident which happened in the morning of 26 April 1986 had a major impact on thyroid health in the Belarus region. Objective:Context: Radioactive contamination from the Chernobyl nuclear accident which happened in the morning of 26 April 1986 had a major impact on thyroid health in the Belarus region. Objective: Observational study of a cohort of 99 adults, most strongly exposed to ionizing radioactivity. Design, Setting, and Patients: Observational study performed between 1998 and 2000. The cohort was comprised of 99 workers (92 male) of the Chernobly nuclear power plant. Examination including physical examination, ultrasonography of the thyroid gland and measurement of serum free thyroxin (fT4), free triiodothyronine (fT3), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Anti-TPO, anti-Tg antibodies and TSI were also determined. Main Outcome Measures: The impact of exposure to high dose radiation, including radioactive iodine, on the thyroid gland was examined. Results: Levels of fT4 in all probands were within the normal World Health Organization-defined range. Elevated levels of fT3 were found in two workers (2%), high titres of anti-TPO and anti-Tg antibodies was present in four subjects (4%). Mild hypothyroidism was present in one patient. Enlargement of the thyroid gland was observed in 17 workers (17%). There was no evidence of clinically overt thyroid cancer. Conclusions: The Chernobyl accident showed surprisingly little impact on the thyroid in a cohort of workers strongly exposed to radiation. Our data suggest an age-dependent heterogeneity in the response to short-lived radioiodine isotopes and favors long-term follow-up analysis.

• Delayed effects of accidental cutaneous radiation exposure: fifteen years of follow-up after the Chernobyl accident.

  Authors: Marianna Steinert, Melanie Weiss, Petra Gottlöber, David Belyi, Oleg Gergel, Vladimir Bebeshko, Natalia Nadejina, Irina Galstian, Gerard Wagemaker, Theodor Max Fliedner, Ralf Uwe Peter

  Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 10/2003; 49(3):417-23.

  BACKGROUND: During the Chernobyl accident in 1986, 237 individuals were identified as having the most severe exposure to ionizing radiation. In the period between 1998 and 2000, 99 long termBACKGROUND: During the Chernobyl accident in 1986, 237 individuals were identified as having the most severe exposure to ionizing radiation. In the period between 1998 and 2000, 99 long term survivors out of this group were reassessed for radiation-induced cutaneous lesions. OBJECTIVE: To identify sequelae of accidental cutaneous irradiation. METHODS: Detailed dermatologic examinations, including biopsies of suspicious cutaneous lesions for histopathologic examination and 20 MHz sonography, were performed in all patients. RESULTS: Twenty-two of the 99 patients displayed radiation-induced cutaneous lesions. Epidermal atrophy, telangiectases, and pigment alterations were present in all these individuals. Keratotic lesions were found in 14 patients. Cutaneous fibrosis was documented in 8 individuals by the use of 20 MHz sonography, while a radiation ulcer was found in 5. In one patient, two basal cell carcinomas were found. CONCLUSION: The life-long follow-up of irradiated persons is of great importance in order to identify cutaneous neoplasms at an early treatable stage.

• Hematopoietic cell renewal as the limiting factor in low-level radiation exposure: diagnostic implications and therapeutic options.

  Authors: Theodor M Fliedner, Iris Friesecke, Dieter Graessle, Carola Paulsen, Melanie Weiss

  Military medicine. 03/2002; 167(2 Suppl):46-8.

  In some radiation accidents, exposure doses are delivered over days or even months. In all cases the organ system most relevant to a patient's survival is the hematopoietic tissue. There appears toIn some radiation accidents, exposure doses are delivered over days or even months. In all cases the organ system most relevant to a patient's survival is the hematopoietic tissue. There appears to be a threshold of approximately 10 mSv per day above which hematopoietic effects become apparent and hematopoietic failure may occur. Experimental observations in dogs demonstrate that exposure to chronic gamma-irradiation may be tolerated for over a year if the daily dose does not exceed 7 mSv to 18 mSv. The pathophysiological mechanisms are being studied by hematological measures and biomathematical models. The results are in accordance with the assumption of excess cell loss and progressive diminution of the stem cell pool over time until a "turbulence region," with an increased probability of system failure, is approached. Diagnostic procedures require a thorough hematological assessment that includes the stem cell compartment. Therapeutic options include administration of hematopoietic growth factors and stem cell transplantation.