Characteristic genetic alterations associated with the partial deletion of chromosome 11 in mouse thymic lymphomas induced by high linear energy transfer irradiation with carbon ions

However, few studies have investigated the carcinogenic mechanisms that are dependent on radiation quality or LET. This study analyzed mutations and gene expression in thymic lymphomas induced by high-LET carbon-ion irradiation to identify characteristic genetic alterations.

The results revealed that thymic lymphomas arising after four-fractionated high-LET carbon-ion irradiation frequently exhibited loss of heterozygosity in the region containing the thymic lymphoma–associated gene Ikzf1 on chromosome 11 owing to extensive genomic deletions in the paternal allele. Nevertheless, for carbon ion–induced thymic lymphomas, those with only loss of heterozygosity without Ikzf1 alterations were observed at a relatively high frequency.