cytokine status in ukrainian children with irritable bowel syndrome residing in a radioactive contaminated area

background: the effect of low dose radiation on immune system is shown. ionizing radiation can affect cytokine production and polarization of t helper cells. objective: the current study focused on ionizing radiation in ukrainian children residing in a contaminated area with clinical irritable bowel syndrome. method: our study included 75 rural children population aged 4-18 yrs, who lived in a contaminated area exposed to natural environmental radiation with clinical irritable bowel syndrome (categorized in three groups) and 20 rural children participants aged 5-15 yrs who were living in areas with similar levels of radioactive contamination without clinical irritable bowel syndrome as control group. internal radiation activity was measured by gamma-ray spectrometry. serum levels of il-4 and ifn-γ were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. results: a trend towards increased levels of il-4 was observed in children with clinical irritable bowel syndrome. in these children, ifn-γ levels were lower than that of the control group. conclusion: the ibs symptoms in ukrainian children residing in a contaminated area may have stemmed from th1 to th2 immune deviation and differential expression of il-4 and ifn-γ.