title: Radiotherapy-related changes in serum proteome patterns of head and neck cancer patients; the effect of low and medium doses of radiation delivered to large volumes of normal tissue.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Conformal intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) involves irradiation of large volume of normal tissue with low and medium doses, biological relevance of which is not clear yet. Serum proteome features were used here to study the dose-volume effects in patients irradiated with IMRT due to head and neck cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were collected before and during RT, and also about one month and one year after the end of RT in a group of 72 patients who received definitive treatment. Serum proteome profiles were analyzed using MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry in 800-14,000 Da range.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Major changes in serum proteome profiles were observed between pre-treatment samples and samples collected one month after RT. Radiation-related changes in serum proteome features were affected by low-to-medium doses delivered to a large fraction of body mass. Proteome changes were associated with intensity of acute radiation toxicity, indicating collectively that RT-related features of serum proteome reflected general response of patient's organism to irradiation. However, short-term dose-related changes in serum proteome features were not associated significantly with the long-term efficacy of the treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The effects of low and medium doses of radiation have been documented at the level of serum proteome, which is a reflection of the patient's whole body response.
authors.affiliation: Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Gliwice, Poland. widlak@io.gliwice.pl.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Widłak
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pietrowska
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Polańska
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rutkowski
authors.forename: Karol
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jelonek
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalinowska-Herok
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gdowicz-Kłosok
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wygoda
authors.forename: Rafał
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tarnawski
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Składowski
mesh_terms: D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D020543:Proteome; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D020543:Proteome