A CASE OF RADIATION PNEUMONITIS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SEROLOGICAL STUDIES

A 75-year-old woman who received deep x-ray therapy for left breast cancer during a period of 2 years developed radiation pneumonitis. She was treated with ACTH-gel with remarkable relief. The amount of auto-antibody paralleled the course of symptoms. The more severe the symptoms the more antibody was produced. The auto-antibody reacted against human-lung tissues more strongly than against rabbit-lung tissues. The auto-antibody reacted against the x-irradiated lung tissue of rabbits more strongly than against non-irradiated lung tissues. (Abstr. Japan Med., 1: No. 8, 1961)