ESTIMATION OF THE EFFECT OF INCREASING UVB EXPOSURE ON THE HUMAN IMMUNE-SYSTEM AND RELATED RESISTANCE TO INFECTIOUS-DISEASES AND TUMORS

Exposure to UV light has, besides some beneficial effects (vitamin D p roduction), many harmful effects on human health. WE irradiation has b een shown to suppress both systemic and local immune responses to a va riety of antigens, including some microorganisms. However, it is still not known whether such immunomodulating effects may lead to an increa se in the number and severity of certain rumours and/or infections in humans. We report herein the data provided by a project that was funde d by the European Union (Programme Environment), and that was aimed at the estimation of the risk associated with increased UVB exposure due to ozone depletion regarding the deleterious effects on the immune sy stem and related resistance to tumours and infections in humans. The d ata, obtained by the different research groups involved, were assemble d and used to calculate for the first time a risk assessment for incre ased environmental exposure to UVB in subjects. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scie nce S.A. All rights reserved.