Radiation pneumonitis and early circulatory cytokine markers

https://doi.org/10.1053/srao.2002.31360Get rights and content

Radiation pneumonitis is a distinct clinical entity that differs from other pulmonary symptoms such as allergic pneumonitis, chemical pneumonitis, or pneumonia by various infectious agents. Recent research has supported the mechanism of cellular interaction between lung parenchymal cells and circulating immune cells mediated through a variety of cytokines including proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules, and profibrotic cytokines. Identifying reliable biomarkers for radiatio pneumonitis will allow us to identify individuals at risk for pneumonitis before or during the early stage of therapy. Prospective blood sampling, scoring of respiratory symptoms, and chest imaging were conducted for patients receiving thoracic radiotherapy for malignancy. Serial plasma specimens were analyzed for circulating cytokine changes before, during, and up to 12 weeks after radiation. Radiation pneumonitis was diagnosed using National Cancer Institute (NCI) common toxicity criteria. Cytokine analysis was assayed for interleukin 1α (IL-1α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), E-selectin, l-selectin, transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) using enzyme linked immmunosorbant assay (ELISA). Twenty-four patients had clinical follow-up longer than 12 months after radiotherapy. Thirteen had symptomatic pneumonitis (NCI grade 2). The peak incidence of symptoms was between 6 and 13 weeks after radiotherapy. Six patients had only radiographic infiltrates (NCI grade 1). Five patients did not have clinical or radiographic pneumonitis. Both IL-1α and IL-6 levels were significantly higher before, during, and after radiotherapy for those who had pneumonitis. The pattern of changes of MCP-1, E-selectin, l-selectin, TGF-β1, and bFGF varied, but none of these cytokines correlated with radiation penumonitis. Analysis of a panel of circulating cytokines with different putative functions in radiation pulmonary injury identified IL-1α and IL-6 as early circulating cytokine markers for radiation pneumonitis.

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    The research is supported by grants P-01 CA11051-26 and R-01 CA27791-15 from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and IRG-98-276-01 from the American Cancer Society.

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