Science to practice: why is the liver a radiosensitive organ?

Christiansen et al irradiated rat livers in vivo; isolated rat hepatocytes in vitro; and measured hepcidin, hemojuvelin, and ferroportin-1 gene expression. They also evaluated the influence of proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]- 1beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-alpha) on the expression of these proteins. In this issue of Radiology, Christiansen et al conclude that radiation-induced cell-cell interactions by way of the cytokines can lead to death of irradiated hepatocytes.