Vanderstraeten Jacques, Verschaeve Luc
Research Unit on Work Health and Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
Environ Health Perspect. 2008 Sep;116(9):1131-5. doi: 10.1289/ehp.11279.
Since 1999, several articles have been published on genome-wide and/or proteome-wide response after exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields whose signal and intensities were similar to or typical of those of currently used mobile telephones. These studies were performed using powerful high-throughput screening techniques (HTSTs) of transcriptomics and/or proteomics, which allow for the simultaneous screening of the expression of thousands of genes or proteins.
We reviewed these HTST-based studies and compared the results with currently accepted concepts about the effects of RF fields on gene expression. In this article we also discuss these last in light of the recent concept of microwave-assisted chemistry.
To date, the results of HTST-based studies of transcriptomics and/or proteomics after exposure to RF fields relevant to human exposure are still inconclusive, as most of the positive reports are flawed by methodologic imperfections or shortcomings. In addition, when positive findings were reported, no precise response pattern could be identified in a reproducible way. In particular, results from HTST studies tend to exclude the role of a cell stressor for exposure to RF fields at nonthermal intensities. However, on the basis of lessons from microwave-assisted chemistry, we can assume that RF fields might affect heat-sensitive gene or protein expression to an extent larger than would be predicted from temperature change only. But in all likelihood, this would concern intensities higher than those relevant to usual human exposure.
The precise role of transcriptomics and proteomics in the screening of bioeffects from exposure to RF fields from mobile phones is still uncertain in view of the lack of positively identified phenotypic change and the lack of theoretical, as well as experimental, arguments for specific gene and/or protein response patterns after this kind of exposure.
自1999年以来，已经发表了几篇关于暴露于射频（RF）场后的全基因组和/或蛋白质组反应的文章，这些射频场的信号和强度与当前使用的移动电话相似或典型。这些研究使用了强大的转录组学和/或蛋白质组学高通量筛选技术（HTSTs），这些技术允许同时筛选数千个基因或蛋白质的表达。
我们回顾了这些基于HTST的研究，并将结果与目前关于射频场对基因表达影响的公认概念进行了比较。在本文中，我们还根据微波辅助化学的最新概念讨论了这些研究结果。
迄今为止，基于HTST的转录组学和/或蛋白质组学研究在暴露于与人类暴露相关的射频场后的结果仍然没有定论，因为大多数阳性报告都存在方法上的缺陷或不足。此外，当报告有阳性结果时，无法以可重复的方式确定精确的反应模式。特别是，HTST研究的结果倾向于排除细胞应激源在非热强度下暴露于射频场中的作用。然而，根据微波辅助化学的经验教训，我们可以假设射频场可能对热敏感基因或蛋白质表达的影响程度大于仅根据温度变化所预测的程度。但很可能，这涉及到高于与通常人类暴露相关强度的情况。
鉴于缺乏明确鉴定的表型变化，以及缺乏关于这种暴露后特定基因和/或蛋白质反应模式的理论和实验依据，转录组学和蛋白质组学在筛选手机射频场暴露的生物效应中的精确作用仍然不确定。
