In vivo rectal inflammatory mediator changes with radiotherapy to the pelvis

In vivo changes in the rectal values of eicosanoid inflammatory mediators induced by pelvic radiotherapy were measured to study the pathophysiology of the early radiation bowel reaction. Ten patients having pelvic radiotherapy, aged 57 to 78, had rectal dialysis. Values of the eicosanoids leukotriene B4 (LTB4), thromboxane B2 (TXB2), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were measured before radiotherapy, at the end of radiotherapy, and at least four weeks after radiotherapy. Values of LTB4 rose with radiotherapy from 0.21 ng.ml-1 (median) to 1.14 ng.ml-1 (p = 0.012); PGE2 rose from 0.60 ng.ml-1 to 1.58 ng.ml-1 (p = 0.038), and TXB2 rose from 0.365 ng.ml-1 to 1.6 ng.ml-1 (p = 0.005). The rise in eicosanoid inflammatory mediators may have an important role in the pathophysiology of the early radiation bowel reaction.