Treatment of intractable rheumatoid arthritis with lymphoid irradiation

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0360-3016(81)90052-3· OSTI ID:6603435

Strober, S; Kotzin, B L; Hoppe, R T; Slavin, S; Gottlieb, M; Calin, A; Fuks, Z; Kaplan, H S

Subdiaphragmatic lymphoid radiation was used as an alternative to cytotoxic drug therapy to treat six patients with progressive erosive rheumatoid arthritis. All were previously unresponsive to conventional therapy. Radiation (4,000 rad) was given to subdiaphragmatic lymphoid tissues in fractionated doses of 150 to 250 rad each. Three of the six patients demonstrated long-lasting clinical improvement with a decrease in synovitis and morning stiffness and an increase in joint function. All six patients showed a profound depression in the peripheral blood lymphocyte count which persisted for at least six months. The irradiation was well tolerated; there have been no serious complications due to radiotherapy with follow-up ranging from 13 to 36 months. The substantial efficacy in some patients and the lack of severe toxicity in all suggests that radiotherapy deserves further study as an alternative to cytotoxic drugs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

• Research Organization: Stanford Univ., CA
• OSTI ID: 6603435
• Journal Information: Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 7:1; ISSN IOBPD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550603* -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Therapy-- (1980-)
560151 -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMAL CELLS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BIOLOGY
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BLOOD COUNT
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
BONE JOINTS
CHEMOTHERAPY
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
CYTOLOGY
DIARRHEA
DISEASES
DOSES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EXTERNAL IRRADIATION
FRACTIONATED IRRADIATION
IMMUNOSUPPRESSION
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IRRADIATION
LEUKOCYTES
LYMPHOCYTES
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
NAUSEA
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANS
PAIN
PATIENTS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOLOGY
RADIOSENSITIVITY
RADIOTHERAPY
RHEUMATIC DISEASES
SIDE EFFECTS
SKELETAL DISEASES
SKELETON
SOMATIC CELLS
SYMPTOMS
THERAPY
X RADIATION