Abstract
Cells of the skin and circulation are in constant two-way communication. Following exposure of humans to sunlight or to phototherapy, there are alterations in the number, phenotype and function of circulating blood cells. In this review, only data obtained from human studies are considered, with changes induced by UV radiation (UVR) exposure described for phagocytic leukocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells plus their component T and B cells, natural killer cells and dendritic cells. These immune modulations illustrate the potential of UVR to have therapeutic effects beyond the skin, and that sunlight exposure is an important environmental influence on human health.
Highlights
At the surface of the earth, ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun contains approximately 6% UVB and the remaining 94% is UVA
There was no change in the lymphoproliferative response to a T cell mitogen, or to herpes simplex virus (HSV) antigen throughout the phototherapy
When skin pigmentation readings obtained by spectrophotometry were used as a marker of recent UVR exposure, there were no correlations between UVR exposure and the overall proportion of circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and with Tregulatory cells (Treg) subsets defined by CD45RA, CD27, FoxP3 and CD25, in the blood of 350 individuals undergoing routine skin cancer screening [23]
Summary
Collates reports of changes to the number, phenotype and function of blood cells in humans following natural and experimental ultraviolet radiation exposure. Supports proposals that UVB phototherapy alters several blood cell types that may have biological consequences in health and disease
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