title: Effect of cell phone-like electromagnetic radiation on primary human thyroid cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the potential carcinogenic effects of radiofrequency energy (RFE) emitted by cell phones on human thyroid primary cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary thyroid cell culture was prepared from normal thyroid tissue obtained from patients who underwent surgery at our department. Subconfluent thyroid cells were irradiated under different conditions inside a cell incubator using a device that simulates cell phone-RFE. Proliferation of control and irradiated cells was assessed by the immunohistochemical staining of antigen Kiel clone-67 (Ki-67) and tumor suppressor p53 (p53) expression. DNA ploidy and the stress biomarkers heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) was evaluated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our cells highly expressed thyroglobulin (Tg) and sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) confirming the origin of the tissue. None of the irradiation conditions evaluated here had an effect neither on the proliferation marker Ki-67 nor on p53 expression. DNA ploidy was also not affected by RFE, as well as the expression of the biomarkers HSP70 and ROS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our conditions of RFE exposure seem to have no potential carcinogenic effect on human thyroid cells. Moreover, common biomarkers usually associated to environmental stress also remained unchanged. We failed to find an association between cell phone-RFE and thyroid cancer. Additional studies are recommended.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology Research , The Felsenstein Medical Research Center, The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Petach Tikva ;
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: b Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery , Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus , Petach Tikva ;
authors.forename: Ohad
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hilly
authors.affiliation: c Department of Pathology , Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus , Petach Tikva ;
authors.forename: Yulia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Strenov
authors.affiliation: c Department of Pathology , Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus , Petach Tikva ;
authors.forename: Cochava
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tzabari
authors.affiliation: d Galsafe Ltd , Or'Yehuda , Israel.
authors.forename: Yirmi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hauptman
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology Research , The Felsenstein Medical Research Center, The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Petach Tikva ;|b Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery , Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus , Petach Tikva ;
authors.forename: Raphael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Feinmesser
mesh_terms: D065638:Absorption, Radiation / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*; D040421:Cell Phone; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008872:Microwaves; D008875:Middle Aged; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Thyroid; cell phones; electromagnetic radiation; environmental stress; thyroid cancer