[The intestinal microflora of persons subjected to a radiation lesion]

The content of large intestine has been studied in persons exposed to radiation injury in consequence of the accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Power Plant. It is stated that bifidobacteria (10(7)-10(10) cells in 1 g of feces) prevailed (as in healthy people), Bifidobacterium indicum being a dominating species. Amount of lactic-acid bacteria in 1 g of defecations of examined patients was within the range of 10(6)-10(9) cells and in certain persons it reached 10(10) cells (primarily fecal Enterococci). A considerable amount of patients with acute radiation sickness of the 3d degree had in their intestine 10(9)/g of lactic-acid bacteria, Lactobacillus casei and L. plantarum prevailing there. The frequency of yeast isolation from defecations of patients constituted 83%, while the number of cells in 1 g of feces--from 10 to 10(4). Yeast of the Candida genus, mainly Candida parapsilosis, prevailed. The species composition of isolated microorganisms has no substantial differences from microcenosis of healthy people. The content of intestine of persons suffered from radiation is characterized only by greater amount of lactic-acid bacteria and enterococci as compared with healthy adults.