title: Reduction of arthritic symptoms by low dose radiation therapy (LD-RT) is associated with an anti-inflammatory phenotype.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper was to provide an integrative mechanistic appraisal to account for consistent observations of protective effects of ionizing radiation on the occurrence/ progression of arthritis in multiple animal models.
  
  
  METHODS
  A critical analysis of the biomedical literature was undertaken to assess mechanisms by which low doses of ionizing radiation prevent and/or reduce the occurrence of experimental-induced arthritis in animal models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Detailed mechanistic-related research indicates that low doses of ionizing radiation induce a highly integrated multiple pathway process that results in the formation of a generalized anti-inflammatory phenotype which can both prevent the occurrence of arthritic changes and/or reverse such effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The manifestation of the anti-inflammatory features occurred within the context of highly consistent hormetic (i.e., biphasic dose) responses across studies, biological models and mechanisms. The reduction of multiple bioindicators of experimentally-induced arthritis by exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation was associated with the occurrence of a generalized anti-inflammatory phenotype.
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts, Public Health (EHS), Morrill I, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA. edwardc@schoolph.umass.edu
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Calabrese
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001168:Arthritis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D010641:Phenotype; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage