Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center Baltimore, Maryland, 10 N. Greene St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W Baltimore S, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center Baltimore, Maryland, 10 N. Greene St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Environ Res. 2017 Jan;152:175-184. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.10.016. Epub 2016 Oct 25.
A small group of Gulf War I veterans wounded in depleted uranium (DU) friendly-fire incidents have been monitored for health changes in a clinical surveillance program at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore since 1994.
During the spring of 2015, an in-patient clinical surveillance protocol was performed on 36 members of the cohort, including exposure monitoring for total and isotopic uranium concentrations in urine and a comprehensive assessment of health outcomes.
On-going mobilization of U from embedded fragments is evidenced by elevated urine U concentrations. The DU isotopic signature is observed principally in participants possessing embedded fragments. Those with only an inhalation exposure have lower urine U concentration and a natural isotopic signature.
At 25 years since first exposure to DU, an aging cohort of military veterans continues to show no U-related health effects in known target organs of U toxicity. As U body burden continues to accrue from in-situ mobilization from metal fragment depots, and increases with exposure duration, critical tissue-specific U concentration thresholds may be reached, thus recommending on-going surveillance of this veteran cohort.
自 1994 年以来，在巴尔的摩退伍军人事务医疗中心的一个临床监测计划中，一小部分在海湾战争 I 中因贫铀（DU）友方火力而受伤的退伍军人一直在接受健康变化的监测。
在 2015 年春季，对队列中的 36 名成员进行了住院临床监测方案，包括对尿液中总铀和同位素铀浓度进行暴露监测，以及对健康结果进行全面评估。
持续的嵌入碎片 U 的动员，从升高的尿 U 浓度中可以看出。在有嵌入碎片的参与者中主要观察到 DU 的同位素特征。那些只有吸入暴露的人尿 U 浓度较低，且同位素特征呈自然状态。
自首次接触 DU 以来已经 25 年，一个老龄化的退伍军人队列在已知的 U 毒性靶器官中仍未显示出与 U 相关的健康影响。由于金属碎片库中就地动员导致 U 体内负荷不断增加，并随着暴露时间的延长而增加，可能会达到特定组织的关键 U 浓度阈值，因此建议对这一退伍军人队列进行持续监测。
