Effects of low dose radiation on DNA methylation in nuclear power plant workers

Monday, 18 August 2014
Exhibit hall (Dena'ina Center)
Younghyun Lee, MPH , School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
Yang Jee Kim, PhD , Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea
Young Joo Choi, PhD , School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
Joong Won Lee, PhD , School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
Sunyeong Lee, MPH , School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
Hai Won Chung, PhD , School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
INTRODUCTION:  The impact of ionizing radiation on DNA methylation has received a lot of attention due to its role in carcinogenesis and the maintenance of genomic stability. Growing evidence supports that exposure to ionizing radiation could alter DNA methylation, but few studies were performed on the effect of chronic exposure to low-dose radiation on DNA methylation. In this study, we evaluated the association between occupational radiation exposure and DNA methylation level in workers of nuclear power plants.

METHODS:  The study population included 170 radiation-exposed workers and 30 controls. We measured global, long interspersed nuclear element 1 (LINE-1) and Satellite 2 (Sat2) methylation levels in blood leukocyte DNA.

RESULTS:  Global DNA methylation levels were lower in radiation-exposed workers than in controls (p<0.05). A significant dose-response relationship between radiation exposure and global DNA methylation level was found in nuclear power plant workers. LINE-1 methylation levels were higher in the workers compared with controls (p<0.0001), while no difference was found in Sat2 methylation levels (p=0.090). Multiple linear regression analysis showed a negative association between recent 1.5 year radiation exposure and global DNA methylation (b=-0.0089, p<0.05), whereas no association was found with LINE-1 and Sat2 methylation levels.

CONCLUSIONS:  These findings provide evidence that occupational exposure to low dose radiation could affect global DNA methylation level in nuclear power plant workers.

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