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IgG, IgA, and IgM levels were measured in 347 miners working in the underground of uranium mines; in 156 men entering into the work in mines, and in 101 men working in food industry and food distribution, all in the region of Central Bohemia. Significantly elevated IgG and IgM levels were found in the subgroup of miners exposed a short time (less than five years) to the mining environment, whereas elevated IgA levels were found in the subgroup exposed more than 15 years. The comparison of differences with age-matched controls has shown that the levels of IgM are significantly increased in the miners subgroup exposed to the mining environment no more than five years. In miners subgroups above 31 years a significant decline of IgG levels occurs. The expression of Ig levels' changes is not uniform in all exposed persons; an apparent heterogeneity occurs in miners population. Some differences in IgG and IgM levels were found between the two 31- to 40-year-old control subgroups. The possible conditions for differences found are discussed from the point of view of the effect of ionizing radiation and from the point of view of the stressing influence of environment and employment.

The levels of IgG, IgA and IgM were measured in the blood serum of uranium miners in a minin-district, where after a geological disturbance exposure to a high level of ionizing radiation took place. The mean exposure to 222-Rn daughters after first year was 7.35 WLM, after the second year 0.13 WLM only. Serum was sampled before miners started their occupation, for the second time after the first year and for the third time after the second year. The levels of IgG and IgM significantly decreased after one year of exposure, while the IgA changed only slightly. After the second year the levels of IgG and IgM significantly rose. IgG exceeded the initial levels: a regenerative hypercompensation took place. On the other hand IgA at the same time decreased. The IgG levels are only slightly correlated with radiation dose rate; for IgA and IgM the correlation is lacking. Individual Ig levels appear to be very variable. The reduction of IgG reached hypogammaglobulinemic levels in some miners after the first year and was followed by a propensity to infections of the respiratory tract. The significance of these observations is discussed from the immunological, radiological and radiohygienical point of view.