Differences in the susceptibility to iodine¹³¹-induced thyroid tumours amongst inbred mouse strains

Genetic factors can modify susceptibility to the carcinogenic effect of ionising radiation. To establish if radioiodine-induced thyroid cancer is similarly genetically influenced, we studied F1 hybrid crosses between inbred mouse strains. Mice were perinatally exposed to iodine-131 and thyroid tissues examined after 18 months. Differences in the incidence and distribution of histological subtypes were quantified in relation to genetic background. As expected, the occurrence of thyroid lesions was significantly higher in irradiated mouse hybrids than in unirradiated controls. The most frequent alterations were the simple and the complex hyperplasias, followed by follicular adenoma and, less frequently, follicular carcinoma. Both the incidence and distribution of the histiotype were different between the hybrid mouse crosses. Crosses using JF1 mice (M. m. molossinus) produced F1 offspring that were more resistant to radiation-induced thyroid lesions. Sequence analysis of Braf, Ret, Hras, Kras, Kit and Trp53, all genes that are commonly mutated in human thyroid cancers, did not show any evidence of mutation in the tumours. However, microsatellite analysis of genomic DNA revealed frequent allelic imbalances in complex hyperplasia and follicular adenoma. We conclude that genetic background, in particular the JF1 genotype, confer differences in susceptibility to the carcinogenic effects of radioiodine on the thyroid.