M. Felaco et al., Impact of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields on CD4 expressionin peripheral blood mononuclear cells, MOL C BIOCH, 201(1-2), 1999, pp. 49-55
There is increasing evidence suggesting that extremely low frequency electr
omagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) may influence several cell functions. Here the e
ffects of ELF-EMF were studied on the expression of CD4(+) cell surface rec
eptors of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using florescence
-activated cell sorter (FACScan). The expression of CD4(+) in ELF-EMF expos
ed (24, 48 and 72 h) and not exposed PBMC were not statistically significan
t. In addition, a flow cytometric analysis was determined by using a fluore
scent labeled antibody, at 24 and 72 h incubations. The amount of bound ant
ibody was distributed with a slight difference in the ELF-EMF-exposed PBMC
compared to the not exposed cells. Moreover, DNA CD4(+) expression in PBMC
strongly increased in exposed cells, resting and activated with Phytohaemag
lutinin (PHA). When polymerase chain reaction was performed on CD4(+) mRNA
of PBMC an increase of CD4(+) mRNA expression was found after the resting c
ells were exposed to ELF-EMF at 24 h compared to not exposed cells, while a
t 48 and 72 h no difference was found. In the cell cycle progression analys
is, the PBMC exposed to ELF-EMF presented a significant increase of percent
age expression of cell cycle progression in the S phase compared to not exp
osed cells; while in G1 and G2 phases, there were no differences. Our resul
ts provide new evidence that ELF-EMF can affect CD4(+) expression in PBMC a
nd describe an additional biological activity for ELF-EMF affecting CD4(+)
transcription and translation protein and the increase of the percentage ex
pression of the cell cycle progression of the S phase.