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Effect of GSTM1 and GSTT1 Polymorphisms on Genetic Damage in Humans Populations Exposed to Radiation From Mobile Towers

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Abstract

All over the world, people have been debating about associated health risks due to radiation from mobile phones and mobile towers. The carcinogenicity of this nonionizing radiation has been the greatest health concern associated with mobile towers exposure until recently. The objective of our study was to evaluate the genetic damage caused by radiation from mobile towers and to find an association between genetic polymorphism of GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes and DNA damage. In our study, 116 persons exposed to radiation from mobile towers and 106 control subjects were genotyped for polymorphisms in the GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes by multiplex polymerase chain reaction method. DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes was determined using alkaline comet assay in terms of tail moment (TM) value and micronucleus assay in buccal cells (BMN). There was a significant increase in BMN frequency and TM value in exposed subjects (3.65 ± 2.44 and 6.63 ± 2.32) compared with control subjects (1.23 ± 0.97 and 0.26 ± 0.27). However, there was no association of GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms with the level of DNA damage in both exposed and control groups.

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Acknowledgments

The work was performed in Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (Haryana), India. We are thankful to Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, India, for funding and to all blood donors for their voluntary participation in the study. We are also thankful to R. K. Kohli, vice chancellor, DAV University, Jalandhar (Punjab), India, for providing the spectrum analyzer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana, 136119, India

    Sachin Gulati, Anita Yadav, Neeraj Kumar &  Kanupriya

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana, 136119, India

    Sachin Gulati & Ranjan Gupta

  3. Department of Microbiology, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana, 136119, India

    Neeraj K. Aggarwal

  4. Department of Forensic Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India

    Rajesh Kumar

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  1. Sachin Gulati
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Correspondence to Anita Yadav.

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Gulati, S., Yadav, A., Kumar, N. et al. Effect of GSTM1 and GSTT1 Polymorphisms on Genetic Damage in Humans Populations Exposed to Radiation From Mobile Towers. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 70, 615–625 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-015-0195-y

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