THROMBOXANE AS A MEASURE OF CUTANEOUS VASCULAR DAMAGE FOLLOWING IRRADIATION

The present study was designed to evaluate the role of thromboxane in radiation-induced cutaneous injury and to use the quantitation of cuta neous thromboxane B-2 as an indicator of vascular alteration and tissu e viability in canine skin. Ten adult intact male dogs underwent epith ermal neutron irradiation with or without boron neutron capture. Skin biopsies were obtained from (1) within, (2) the edge of, and (3) outsi de the radiation field at 5, 8, 11, 14, 21, and 90 days after irradiat ion. Clinical changes at each sampling time were assigned a numerical score. One-half of each biopsy was assigned a numerical score based on histologic changes. Thromboxane B-2 was measured from the second half by enzyme immunoabsorbent assay. Thromboxane B-2 concentration parall eled the response of clinical and histologic score over time, indicati ng the value of thromboxane measurement for evaluation of skin changes secondary to irradiation.