Radiobiological mechanisms of anti-inflammatory radiotherapy

Radiotherapy with total doses of less than or equal to 6 Gy has been given as very effective and low risk treatment of painful degenerative joint dise ases and other inflammatory processes. Recent radiobiological experiments i n vitro and in vivo identified mechanisms which may be related to these ant i-inflammatory radiation effects, in particular functional modulation of th e adhesion of white blood cells to activated endothelial cells and modulati on of the induction of nitric oxide synthase in activated macrophages (C) 1 999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.