Effects of electromagnetic fields produced by radiotelevision broadcastingstations on the immune system of women

The object of this study was to investigate the immune system of 19 women w ith a mean age of 35 years, for at least 2 years (mean = 13 years) exposed to electromagnetic fields (ELMFs) induced by radiotelevision broadcasting s tations in their residential area. In September 1999, the ELMFs (with range 500 KHz-3 GHz) in the balconies of the homes of the women were (mean +/- S .D.) 4.3 +/- 1.4 V/m. Forty-seven women of similar age, smoking habits and atopy composed the control group, with a nearby resident ELMF exposure of < 1.8 V/m. Blood lead and urinary cans-trans muconic acid (a metabolite of b enzene), markers of exposure to urban traffic, were higher in the control w omen. The ELMF exposed group showed a statistically significant reduction o f blood NK CD16(+)-CD56(+), cytotoxic CD3(-)-CD8(+), B and NK activated CD3 (-)-HLA-DR+ and CD3(-)-CD25(+) lymphocytes. 'In vitro' production of IL-2 a nd interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC ) of the ELMF exposed group, incubated either with or without phytohaemoagg lutinin (PHA), was significantly lower; the 'in vitro' production of IL-2 w as significantly correlated with blood CD16(+)-CD56(+) lymphocytes. The sti mulation index (S.I.) of blastogenesis (ratio between cell proliferation wi th and without PHA) of PBMC of ELMF exposed women was lower than that of th e control subjects. The S,I, of blastogenesis of the ELMF exposed group (bu t not blood NK lymphocytes and the 'in vitro' production of IL-2 and INF-ga mma by PBMC) was significantly correlated with the ELMF levels. Blood lead and urinary trans-trans muconic acid were barely correlated with immune par ameters: the urinary metabolite of benzene of the control group was only co rrelated with CD16(+)-CD56(+) cells indicating a slight effect of traffic o n the immune system. in conclusion, this study demonstrates that high frequ ency ELMFs reduce cytotoxic activity in the peripheral blood of women witho ut a dose-response effect. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv ed.