title: Role of the thymus in radiation-induced lung damage after bone marrow transplantation.
abstract: Pneumonitis developing after total-body irradiation and bone marrow transplantation can be a serious complication of this form of therapy. In this study, the incidence of lung damage in a murine syngeneic transplant model was found to be decreased by prior removal of the thymus, indicating that thymus-derived cells, even in the absence of complicating factors such as graft-versus-host disease and opportunistic pathogens, can contribute to radiation-induced lung damage. It is suggested that the increased damage is due to a syngeneic graft-versus-host reaction mediated by a regenerating lymphoid system. If this concept is correct, new strategies can be identified that might be employed in altering the incidence of this serious transplant-related complication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Los Angeles, 90095-1714, USA.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: McBride
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vegesna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006087:Graft vs Host Reaction / Q000528:radiation effects; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D017710:Lymphocyte Transfusion; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D011833:Radiation Injuries, Experimental / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012038:Regeneration; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D015996:Survival Rate; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000401:mortality; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation