The biological effects of electromagnetic exposure on immune cells and potential mechanisms

Abstract

The biological effects of electromagnetic exposure on immune cells and potential mechanisms Chuanfu Yao, Li Zhao, Ruiyun Peng. The biological effects of electromagnetic exposure on immune cells and potential mechanisms. Electromagn Biol Med. 2021 Nov 9;1-10. doi: 10.1080/15368378.2021.2001651. Abstract Anxiety about potential health hazards of electromagnetic exposure has been growing in the past decades, with their widely application in many fields. The immune system plays pivotal role in maintaining body's homeostasis. Importantly, immune system is also a sensitive target for electromagnetic fields. In recent years, the biological effects of electromagnetic fields on immune cells have been attracting more and more attentions. Accumulated data suggested that electromagnetic exposure could affect the number and function of immune cells to some extent, including cell proportion, cell cycle, apoptosis, killing activity, cytokines contents and so on. The research objects basically covered all types of immune cells, mainly on PBMC, T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, NK cells and macrophages. Meanwhile, there also are negative reports of electromagnetic fields on immune cells. This article reviews the results of epidemiological investigation, the progresses in animal studies and in vitro experiments, and the current attempts to explore potential mechanisms. Knowledge of the biological effects on immune cells associated with electromagnetic fields is critical for proper health hazard evaluation, development of safety standards, and safe exploitation of new electromagnetic devices and applications. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Outlook In an organism, the role of the defence system against external stressors is played by the immune system consisting of various cell types. The immune cells are engaged in many physiological processes and responsible for the proper function of the whole organism. Any factor with an ability to cause immunomodulatory effects may weaken or enhance the response of the immune system (Piszczek et al. 2021). The biological effects of electromagnetic fields on immune cells have been attracting more and more attention in recent years. Researchers from numerous groups focused on both epidemiological investigations and experimental studies. Accumulated data suggested that electromagnetic exposure could affect the number and function of immune cells to some extent, including cell proportion, cell cycle, apoptosis, killing activity, cytokines contents and so on. The research objects basically covered all types of immune cells, mainly on PBMC, T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, NK cells and macrophages. Meanwhile, there also are negative reports of electromagnetic fields on immune cells. Electromagnetic fields-induced biological effects on immune cells are influenced by two general factors: the exposure parameters (i.e., frequency, power density, exposure duration, etc.) and the composition and/or properties of the cell target. Any deviation from the two general factors will lead to inconsistent results. This may be the reason why the results are inconsistent and no comparability between different laboratories. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to find out a mechanism which could play a dominant role in the effects of various types of immune cells under electromagnetic exposure in a wide range of parameters. However, ROS, NF-κB signaling pathway, intracellular Ca2+ emerged as the potential mechanisms involved in electromagnetic field-induced activation and inhibition of immune cells; nevertheless, the specific mechanisms underlying the observed bio-effects in these cells remain unknown.

AI evidence extraction

Main findings

This review summarizes epidemiological, animal, and in vitro evidence on electromagnetic field exposure and immune cells. Accumulated data suggest electromagnetic exposure can affect immune cell number and function (e.g., proportion, cell cycle, apoptosis, killing activity, cytokines), but negative reports also exist and results are described as inconsistent across studies. Proposed mechanisms mentioned include ROS, NF-κB signaling, and intracellular Ca2+, while specific mechanisms remain unknown.

Outcomes measured

• Immune cell number/proportion
• Immune cell function
• Cell cycle
• Apoptosis
• Killing activity
• Cytokine content/levels
• Potential mechanisms (ROS, NF-κB signaling, intracellular Ca2+)

Limitations

• Exposure parameters (frequency, power density, duration) and cell target properties vary and may drive inconsistent findings
• Results across laboratories are described as inconsistent with limited comparability
• Specific mechanisms underlying observed effects are stated to remain unknown

Suggested hubs

• who-icnirp (0.32)
  Discusses health hazard evaluation and development of safety standards in relation to electromagnetic exposure.

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