Radiobiological mechanisms of anti-inflammatory radiotherapy.

Radiotherapy with total doses of < or =6 Gy has been given as very effective and low risk treatment of painful degenerative joint diseases and other inflammatory processes. Recent radiobiological experiments in vitro and in vivo identified mechanisms which may be related to these anti-inflammatory radiation effects, in particular functional modulation of the adhesion of white blood cells to activated endothelial cells and modulation of the induction of nitric oxide synthase in activated macrophages.