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DNA & Genetic Damage

BIGEL analysis of gene expression in HL60 cells exposed to X rays or 60 Hz magnetic fields

No Effects Found

Authors not listed · 1998

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Power-line frequency magnetic fields showed no gene expression changes even at high exposure levels, unlike X-rays.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed HL60 cells (a type of human blood cell) to either X-rays or 60 Hz magnetic fields and examined changes in gene expression. While X-ray exposure altered the activity of 18 genes related to cell growth and stress responses, the 60 Hz magnetic fields produced no detectable changes in gene expression. This suggests that power-line frequency magnetic fields may not trigger the same cellular stress responses as ionizing radiation.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 60 Hz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 60 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale
Cite This Study
Unknown (1998). BIGEL analysis of gene expression in HL60 cells exposed to X rays or 60 Hz magnetic fields.
Show BibTeX
@article{bigel_analysis_of_gene_expression_in_hl60_cells_exposed_to_x_rays_or_60_hz_magnetic_fields_ce3968,
  author = {Unknown},
  title = {BIGEL analysis of gene expression in HL60 cells exposed to X rays or 60 Hz magnetic fields},
  year = {1998},
  doi = {10.2307/3579889},
  
}
DOI: 10.2307/3579889PubMed: 9840186

Quick Questions About This Study

No. Despite screening nearly 2,000 genes, researchers found no changes greater than 1.5-fold in cells exposed to 60 Hz magnetic fields, while X-rays altered 18 different genes related to cell stress and growth.
The 2 mT (2,000 microtesla) exposure was extremely high-approximately 20,000 times stronger than typical household magnetic field levels, which usually measure around 0.1 microtesla near common appliances.
X-rays altered 18 genes including MYC, superoxide dismutase, and genes involved in cell growth, protein synthesis, energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and programmed cell death-none were affected by magnetic fields.
HL60 cells are human leukemia cells commonly used in laboratory research because they're easy to grow, genetically stable, and respond predictably to various treatments, making them ideal for gene expression studies.
BIGEL (two-gel cDNA library screening) allows researchers to simultaneously compare gene expression across thousands of genes. This comprehensive approach showed magnetic fields caused no detectable genetic changes unlike ionizing radiation.