ATOM INDONESIA
Author's Responses
Article : #1118
Article Title :
Long-term effects on the blood cells and its immune system of high- level natural radiation area residents, Mamuju Indonesia
Line # Referee’s Comments Author's Responses
Title
The words ‘long-term effects on the blood cells’ are too general to be put in the title because the focus of the paper is on the immune system. It is suggested to change the title.
Already revised to be “The Effects of High Level Natural Radiation in Mamuju, Indonesia to the Immune System of its Residents”
Abstract Abstract must mention the methodology used in the study.
Methods has already existed: The immune system is one of the most significant defenses against environmental insults including natural radiation. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of high natural radiation to Mamuju residents, by focusing on immune-related blood cell counts (leukocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes) and immunoglobulin E (IgE) level. The blood samples were collected from 18 residents in high background radiation area (HBRA) and 18 residents in the normal background radiation area (NBRA) as a control group.
The blood components were measured by using the hematopoietic analyzer and IgE immune biomarker was measured with ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) according to standard protocols.
The data showed that the indoor radioactivity for gamma rays in HBRA is about 3 times higher than NBRA. The level of all blood cells, except for monocytes, of residents in HBRA was higher than that of NBRA. Statistical analysis revealed that there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the blood cell counts and IgE level in both groups and their values were within normal limits. The level of IgE in HBRA was significantly higher than the control area (p≤0.05), as its IgE level in males compared to females in both residents. The relationship between IgE level and age were negative in these residents.From this study, it was concluded that long-term exposure to high radiation may affect the immune system as one of radiation adaptive response.
Methods
This study used a sample from a population. To be statistically sound, the study should follow the established methodology. Therefore, the paper should mention the population size, and how the sample size is determined.
Has already explained in the text as follow:
This study was a case-control study and sample was taken by using simple random sampling. As a preliminary step, only 18 residents of around 1,920 people in study area were assessed, where this number was based on the good condition of samples obtained and the ability to test IgE levels.
Methods
Moreover, the paper should also mention the sampling technique used, whether it was random, proportional stratified random, or else.
Already revised Abstract The information on indoor radioactivity should Already revised
not be put in the Abstract since dose
measurement was not carried out in the study.
Abstract Last sentence in the abstract is not necessary
and can be deleted. Already deleted
16-19
The quantity ‘effective dose’ is only used for radiation protection purposes, and is not intended for any others. Therefore, it is not appropriate to use the quantity ‘effective dose’
for describing the amount of radiation dose in the environment
Already revised to be: The annual dose of this radiation to the community is very dependent on where they live with the averages of about 2.4 mSv.
36-39 The sentence is difficult to understand. The
authors should clarify this sentence. Already deleted
155-181
The information on the measurement of radiation dose should be put in the Introduction as it was not part of the experimental study.
Already revised (moved to Introduction) 282-285 The statement should be supported by an
experimental data, or at least a reference.
Already added the reference :23. Y.S. Kim, H.Y. Kim, H.S. Ahn et al., Intern Med.
56(19) (2017) 2571
Conclu- sion
It was stated in the Conclusion that ‘high exposure to natural radiation do not
significantly affected the immune system of the HBRA residents’. What made the HBRA
‘significantly affected’, what is the line between ‘significantly affected’ and ‘affected’?
‘Also, ‘do not significantly affected’ means the effect is still happened. So, what are the differences in terms of damage between ‘the significantly affected immune system’ and ‘the affected immune system’?
Already revised (there is a mistypes): It was concluded that high exposure to natural radiation significantly affected the immune system of the HBRA residents. IgE in the serum of HBRA residents was higher than that of NBRA residents, and it is thought to be part of the adaptive response process of people living in the area with long-term exposure to high natural radiation.
435-436
The full name of ‘the Center’ in the Acknowledgments should be clearly written
Already revised
435-436
The Center gave no ‘grand’ (which it should be ‘grant’) to its staffs, but provided fund to conduct a research.
Already revised
Referen- ces
Reference No. 1 is not exist. There is publication with the title ‘Radiation:
Effects and Sources’ published in 2016, but it is not authored by A. Steiner, and it is only 55 pages.
Reference 1 has already revised to be : E.D.
Nugraha, M. Hosoda, Kusdiana et al., Sci Rep 11 (2021) 14578.
Others
References and Figures
Has already revised to be less than 20% of old references (more than 5 years)The y axis of figures has already there.
Please return to Atom Indonesia Editorial Office via
supplementary file in OJS application.6/10/2021
