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Advances in Brief |
1 Laboratory of Photobiology and Photoimmunology, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health and Health Services, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC; 2 Biostatistics Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; and 3 Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| ABSTRACT |
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| Introduction |
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| Materials and Methods |
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The spectral outputs of the sources used are given in Fig. 1
and the doses delivered are listed in Table 1
. Following treatment, animals were monitored weekly over 14 months for lesion and tumor development and melanomas were histologically verified as described previously (2
, 4)
. Time to development of the first lesion that subsequently became a melanoma was determined for each animal and used in survival analysis (see Results). In agreement with previous studies (2
, 4)
, by far the majority of melanomas produced by irradiation with any of the effective sources had a junctional component with a variety of pathologies that closely resembled the histopathology of human melanoma. No melanomas were observed in wild-type animals either unirradiated or irradiated with any UV source.
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| Results and Discussion |
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Briefly, to calculate biologically effective doses, the spectral output of a given source is multiplied by the relevant action spectrum. The integral of this product is the biologically effective or "weighted" irradiance for that source (Eeff) according to the equation Eeff =
A(
)E(
)d
where A(
) is the action spectrum in relative units, E(
) is spectral irradiance emitted from a given source, and
is wavelength. From the biologically effective irradiance, the biologically effective dose (Deff) is calculated as Deff = Eeff x exposure time (10)
.
No mammalian melanoma action spectrum exists to estimate melanoma-effective doses. Based on the reported relationship between sunburn and melanoma (11) , we chose the Commission Internationale de lEclairage (CIE) erythema (sunburn) action spectrum (8) as a surrogate. This action spectrum is widely used as a standard, e.g., in calculations of the UV index (12) , a globally accepted index that is a measure of biologically effective sunburning doses from sunlight for human skin.
For each source used in these experiments, the erythemally effective irradiance was calculated by measuring the spectral output (Fig. 1)
and multiplying it by the CIE action spectrum for erythema as described above. The erythemally effective irradiance was used to calculate the erythemally effective or standard erythemal dose (SED). By convention, one SED is equivalent to 100 J/m2 of erythemally weighted UV. For these studies, we chose a dose of 23 SED, determined previously to be melanomagenic in this mouse model (4)
. To illustrate the biological relevance of this dose, we made use of ground-based spectroradiometric measurements of sunlight from the United States National Science Foundations UV monitoring network (13)
. At San Diego (32.7°N, 117.2°W), 23 SED were received in approximately 2 hours 40 minutes during noon-time on July 4, 2000.
The erythemally effective dose delivered to neonatal HGF/SF-transgenic mice from each of three UVB-containing sources was calculated to be 23 SED. These sources were the F40 sunlamp (250800 nm), the solar simulator (290800 nm), and the isolated UVB waveband (>96% 280320 nm). For UVA exposure, it was necessary to use an absolute rather than a biologically effective dose because, as illustrated by the CIE action spectrum, UVA is much less effective than UVB in producing erythema.4 Under the environmental conditions described, >92% of the erythemally effective irradiance is delivered by UVB whereas <8% is accounted for by UVA. Exposure from the isolated UVA waveband (>99.9% 320400 nm) was 150 kJ/m2. This dose of UVA would have been received in approximately 50 minutes of sunlight exposure. In that time, an erythemal dose of about 7 SED would have been delivered, a dose determined to be melanomagenic (see below).
To establish if exposure pattern affected melanoma development, we first delivered the same absolute radiation dose from F40 sunlamps as a single treatment (14.7 kJ/m2; 23 SED) at 3 days of age as described previously (4)
. In a separate experiment, 14.7 kJ/m2 was delivered as three equally fractionated treatments on days 3, 4, and 5 of age (Table 1)
. The same proportion of animals developed melanoma with similar median times of tumor appearance (Table 2)
. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.85; data not shown), and data from these two groups were pooled for subsequent analysis. The number of treatments used for animals treated with each source is indicated in Table 1
.
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In contrast to the conclusions from the study of Xiphophorus fish as a model system for melanoma, in which UVA was reported to have melanoma-inducing properties (14)
, our data indicate that UVA (320400 nm; Fig. 2A
; Table 2
) was not melanomagenic. In our study, UVA was ineffective as a melanomagenic agent even at a dose 33-fold greater than the highly potent lower dose (7 SED) of isolated UVB (150 kJ/m2 versus 4.5 kJ/m2). In comparison, UVA/UVB ratios calculated with a radiation-transfer model to estimate sunlight exposure for typical mid-latitude summer conditions (solar zenith angle = 30°, total ozone column 250450 Dobson units) under clear skies range approximately between 16 and 24.5
Thus, within the constraints of these comparisons and this model, there is a clear implication that in natural sunlight, UVB and not UVA, is the carcinogen for melanoma.
This finding has major implications for mechanism because UVB initiates DNA damage (15) , signaling pathways (16 , 17) , and immune alterations (6 , 18 , 19) differently from UVA.
Additional analyses of these data further revealed a significantly greater efficiency in melanomagenesis for the isolated UVB waveband when compared to the F40 source or when compared to the solar simulator (tumor-free survival: modified log-rank test, P < 0.02; Fig. 2A and B
). Melanomas were also initiated by the isolated UVB waveband with a significantly lower median time to tumor (P = 0.04, Kruskal-Wallis; Table 2
) than with the other two sources. The absolute dose of UVB (Table 1)
delivered from the isolated UVB waveband (13.5 kJ/m2) was substantially higher than from the F40 sunlamp (6.2 kJ/m2) or from the solar simulator (5.9 kJ/m2), consistent with its greater effectiveness and suggesting a dose-response for melanoma formation. There was no significant difference between the F40 sunlamp and the solar simulator in median time to tumor (P = 0.16, Mann-Whitney) or in tumor-free survival (modified log-rank test, P = 0.38) consistent with the comparable absolute doses delivered. Because both the F40 source and the solar simulator contain a substantial proportion of UVA and visible radiation not found in the isolated UVB waveband (Table 1)
, it could be postulated that these wavelengths inhibited melanoma formation. However, we do not currently favor this interpretation because we found no significant difference in tumor-free survival between animals treated with the F40 sunlamp, which had a UVA/UVB ratio of 0.5:1, or with the solar simulator, which had a UVA/UVB ratio of 6:1 and delivered an 11 times higher UVA dose (3.3 kJ/m2 versus 36.0 kJ/m2, respectively).
Despite the fact that the absolute doses of UVB were consistent with the experimental observations, comparison of absolute doses of UV from the three melanoma-effective optical sources is not a robust evaluation of melanoma-inducing effectiveness. This is because the differential in wavelength effectiveness for a given photobiological effect is compounded by the differing wavelength outputs associated with each optical source. To account for this in this study, given the absence of a mammalian melanoma action spectrum, we used the standardized CIE erythemal action spectrum as described above to determine and then deliver identical erythemally effective doses (23 SED) from each of the three sources. Critically important was the observation that the survival data for all three groups were not superimposable as would be expected if the erythemally effective dose were an accurate measure of melanoma induction (Fig. 2A and B)
. In light of this observation, the CIE erythemal action spectrum, although valuable in estimating effective human sunburning doses, may not be an appropriate weighting function for evaluating melanoma-effective doses. These findings highlight a crucial need for experimental derivation of a mammalian action spectrum specifically for melanoma induction by UV. Other advantages of a melanoma action spectrum would be its use as a weighting function for accurate estimation of melanoma-effective doses from different UV sources such as sunlight or artificial sources (20)
, its use in providing valuable information on the in vivo absorption spectrum of the principal target molecule involved in the UV initiation of melanoma aiding in its identification (1)
, and its use in suggesting molecular/genetic pathways for future study. These data would provide significant insight into an overall evaluation of the role of UV in melanoma risk.
Decades-long increases in melanoma incidence continue (21) . Significant stratospheric ozone losses continue over polar regions as well as over populated areas (22) . Notwithstanding the success of the Montreal Protocol in limiting global production and emission of ozone-destroying gases, a specific time frame for recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer, and mitigation of the associated increases in UVB remain highly uncertain (23 , 24) . Thus, given the direct connection between stratospheric ozone loss and increased UVB, an uncertain period of sustained UVB increases with potential impact on human health is anticipated.
Using the optical sources described, in conjunction with a unique experimental mouse melanoma model that closely recapitulates human disease, we have shown that discrete waveband analyses are possible for experimental melanoma induction. Significantly, we provide compelling evidence from the HGF/SF-transgenic mouse model that UVB radiation, but not UVA, initiates mammalian melanoma, suggesting that this disease belongs within the category of UVB effects. The close similarity of the melanomas formed in these experiments to human melanoma points to an important human relevance. Additionally, we show that erythemally effective doses of UV from artificial sources and, by extrapolation, from sunlight do not accurately estimate melanoma risk. For a correct assessment of risk involving UV radiation and melanoma, a melanoma action spectrum is needed. In future studies, we anticipate that by establishing the melanomagenic effectiveness of precisely defined narrower bands of radiation (6) within the UVB region, identification of the UV pathways relevant to melanoma will become possible. We conclude that our data not only provide a focus for future basic research in melanomagenesis, but also clearly indicate that for protection of melanoma-sensitive populations, minimizing exposure to UVB radiation is to be strongly recommended.
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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| FOOTNOTES |
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The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked advertisement in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
Requests for reprints: Edward De Fabo, Laboratory of Photobiology and Photoimmunology, 112 Ross Hall, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health and Health Services, The George Washington University Medical Center, 2300 I St. NW, Washington, DC 20037. Phone 202-994-3975; E-mail: drmecd{at}gwumc.edu
4 Figs. 2 and 3 in http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/uv_index/uv_nature.html. ![]()
5 G. Bernhard, personal communication; http://www.libradtran.org/. ![]()
Received 4/27/04. Revised 7/16/04. Accepted 7/22/04.
| REFERENCES |
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