Autocrine activation of fibroblasts following irradiation.

BACKGROUND: The most important limitation of thoracic radiotherapy is radio-toxicity of the normal lung. We distinguish the pneumonitis with acute clinical onset, histologically characterised by infiltration of inflammatory cells to alveoli and interstitium, from fibrosis, which is slowly progressive and characterised by fibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition in the interstitium. Radiogenetic fibrosis can occur without evidence of …