Genomic and genome-wide association of susceptibility to radiation-induced fibrotic lung disease in mice

Abstract

Background and purposeTo identify genes which influence the fibrotic response to thoracic cavity radiotherapy, we combined a genome wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) association evaluation of inbred strain response with prior linkage and gene expression data. Material and methodsMice were exposed to 18Gy whole thorax irradiation and survival, bronchoalveolar cell differential, and histological alveolitis and fibrosis phenotypes were determined. Association analyses were completed with 1.8 million SNPs in single markers and haplotypes. ResultsNine strains developed significant fibrosis and 11 strains succumbed to alveolitis only or alveolitis with minimal fibrosis. Post irradiation survival time (p<0.001) and bronchoalveolar lavage neutrophil percent (p=0.055) were correlated with extent of alveolitis and were not significantly correlated with fibrosis. Genome wide SNP analysis identified 10 loci as significantly associated with radiation-induced fibrotic lung disease (p<8.41×10−6; by permutation test), with the most significant SNP within a conserved non-coding region downstream of cell adhesion molecule 1 (Cadm1). Haplotype and SNP analyses performed within previously-identified loci revealed additional genes containing SNPs associated with fibrosis including Slamf6 and Cdkn1a. ConclusionCombining genomic approaches identified variation within specific genes which function in the tissue response to injury as associated with fibrosis following thoracic irradiation in mice.