[Immunological studies on cataracts under conditions of exposure to low-dose radiation]

Immunopathological changes were studied in cataract patients chronically exposed to low-dose ionizing radiation occupationally or as a result of living in districts polluted with radionuclides after the Chernobyl accident. No cellular autoimmune shifts were detected in the examinees; humoral autoimmune changes in respect of different ocular antigens were revealed. Low-dose ionizing radiation was conducive to the formation of thermostable complement-fixing antibodies to lens tissues. One of the causes of the production of such antibodies were disorders in the helper-suppressor relationships of T-lymphocytes. The studies confirm the hypothesis on the possibility of cataract development as a result of low-dose exposure.