28/01/2013
Cell Type-Dependent Induction of DNA Damage by 1800 MHz Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields Does Not Result in Significant Cellular Dysfunctions
Shanshan Xu, Guangdi Chen, Chunjing Chen, Chuan Sun, Danying Zhang, Manuel Murbach, Niels Kuster, Qunli Zeng, and Zhengping Xu, PLoS ONE, Volume 8, Issue 1, online ahead of print January 23, 2013
This study performed at the Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou (China) investigated RF exposure-induced DNA damage in six cell types. The recently introduced method of immunofluorescent visualization of cH2AX (the phosphorylated form of histone H2AX) foci formation for detection of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) was applied. The IT'IS Foundation supported the study by providing the wave-guide system and the appropriate dosimetry. The applied signal corresponded to GSM-1800 MHz Basic. The study reports induced cH2AX foci formation in Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells and human skin fibroblasts (HSFs), but not in the other cells (Sprague-Dawley rat astrocyte cells, human amniotic epithelial cells, human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and human lens epithelial cells) after 24h intermittent (5' on/10' off) exposure at 3 W/kg. No significant effect was found after 1h of exposure. The elevated cH2AX foci formation in HSF cells did not result in significant cellular dysfunctions.
In conclusions, the obsevation of small genotoxic effects of intermittent RF exposures on some but not all cell types are consistents with the findings of our other partners.