Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42701199›Full record

ArticleRadiation oncology (London, England)2026

Cisplatin enhances radiation-induced apoptosis in peripheral lymphocytes of cancer patients: in vivo and in vitro findings.

Ali Sak, Emil Mladenov, Yasemin Alberti, Martin Stuschke

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Radiation oncology (London, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Ali SakDepartment of Radiotherapy, University Hospital Essen, 45122, Essen, Germany. ali.sak@uk-essen.de.
Emil MladenovDepartment of Radiotherapy, University Hospital Essen, 45122, Essen, Germany.
Yasemin AlbertiDepartment of Radiotherapy, University Hospital Essen, 45122, Essen, Germany.
Martin StuschkeDepartment of Radiotherapy, University Hospital Essen, 45122, Essen, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundConcurrent cisplatin and radiotherapy frequently cause severe acute hematologic toxicity. This study investigated whether lymphocyte apoptosis, quantified via the γ-H2AX pan-nuclear immunostaining assay, can serve as a reliable biomarker for the acute hematologic side effects of combined chemoradiation.

methodsBlood samples were collected from cancer patients and healthy controls. Lymphocyte apoptosis was evaluated using the γ-H2AX pan-nuclear assay following in vitro and in vivo exposure to cisplatin and ionizing radiation (IR). In PBMCs, γ-H2AX results strongly correlated with conventional caspase-3 (r = 0.9736) and annexin V (r = 0.9780) apoptosis assays. Additionally, in vitro experiments assessed how phytohemagglutinin-L (PHA-L)-induced lymphocyte proliferation influences the combined effects of cisplatin and IR on apoptosis, alongside the regulatory role of the ATM protein.

resultsIn vitro, cisplatin increased lymphocyte apoptosis asymptotically, plateauing at 10 µg/ml (11.6 ± 5.0%). Combined cisplatin and IR treatment increased apoptosis in a strictly additive manner (radiation effect: p < 0.0001), with no significant synergistic interaction effect between the two modalities (p = 0.22). The apoptotic effect level of in vivo cisplatin administration did not differ significantly from the maximum effect observed following a 1-hour in vitro exposure to high cisplatin concentrations. In vivo, the additive effect of cisplatin on IR-induced apoptosis peaked up to 3 days post-administration before returning to baseline by day 6. Consistent with these findings, cisplatin and radiation induced a significant, additive increase in apoptosis within PHA-L-stimulated lymphocytes. Inhibition of ATM has no effect on apoptosis following treatment with cisplatin and IR.

conclusionsThe γ-H2AX pan-nuclear assay provides a valid, reliable method for quantifying radiation- and chemotherapy-induced lymphocyte damage. The time-dependent, additive toxicity observed indicates a critical clinical window (up to 3 days post-cisplatin) for maximum hematologic damage, allowing for optimization of treatment schedules. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsApoptosisChemoradiotherapyCisplatinLymphocytesNeoplasmsAdultAgedCase-Control StudiesFemaleHistonesHumansMaleMiddle AgedAntineoplastic AgentsCisplatinH2AX protein, humanHistonesApoptosisCisplatinH2AXLymphocytesNSCLCRadiotherapy

Identifiers

PMID42701199
PMCPMC13546508

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.