Genome-wide gene expression profiling suggests distinct radiation susceptibilities in sporadic and post-Chernobyl papillary thyroid cancers

Papillary thyroid cancers (PTCs) incidence dramatically increased in the vicinity of Chernobyl. The cancer-initiating role of radiation elsewhere is debated. Therefore, we searched for a signature distinguishing radio-induced from sporadic cancers. Using microarrays, we compared the expression profiles of PTCs from the Chernobyl Tissue Bank (CTB, n=12) and from French patients with no history of exposure to ionising radiations (n=14). We also compared the transcriptional responses of human lymphocytes to the presumed aetiological agents initiating these tumours, γ-radiation and H(2)O(2). On a global scale, the transcriptomes of CTB and French tumours are indistinguishable, and the transcriptional responses to γ-radiation and H(2)O(2) are similar. On a finer scale, a 118 genes signature discriminated the γ-radiation and H(2)O(2) responses. This signature could be used to classify the tumours as CTB or French with an error of 15–27%. Similar results were obtained with an independent signature of 13 genes involved in homologous recombination. Although sporadic and radio-induced PTCs represent the same disease, they are distinguishable with molecular signatures reflecting specific responses to γ-radiation and H(2)O(2). These signatures in PTCs could reflect the susceptibility profiles of the patients, suggesting the feasibility of a radiation susceptibility test.