Effects of Radiofrequencies on the Immune System: from in Utero through Childhood to Adult life exposure

The immune system normally carries out protective responses against pathogens. Perturbing agents such as toxic compounds and ionizing radiation, as well as some pathogens, can compromise the integrity of the immune system. Alterations in immune functions may results in ineffective responses against pathogens, reduction in tumor surveillance, and development of immune-mediated-diseases. In the last decades, the effects on the immune system of a large body of chemical compounds and physical agents has been investigated. More recently, great attention was dedicated to the effects of exposure to noxious agents during early life. Perinatal life is, indeed, a critic stage in the development of the vertebrate immune system. Exposure to toxic compounds, at levels producing limited transient effects in adults, results in long-lasting or even permanent immune deficits when it occurs during perinatal life. The possible effects of exposure to RF radiation have been investigated in several biological systems, including the immune system. A large number of studies were conducted on lymphoid cells using rodents, rodent and human cell lines, or human peripheral blood lymphocytes to investigate the potential harmful of RF electromagnetic field exposure. In our laboratory we studied the effects of the exposure to GSM-modulated 900 MHz RF and WiFi (2.45 GHz) EMF on the immune system in adult animals, newborns and embryos. An overview of our results is described in the present work.