Whole-body polarized light therapy has been primarily investigated in various clinical observations and in a few in vitro model systems.
Aims: In the present study, clinical and molecular effects of whole-body polarized light treatment on children suffering from recurrent respiratory infection were studied.
Methods: Incidence and duration of respiratory symptoms as well as the length of appropriate antibiotic therapy have been measured. Simultaneously, genome-wide gene expression pattern was examined by whole genome cDNA microarray in peripheral lymphocytes of children.
Results: Twenty of twenty five children showed a marked clinical improvement, while in five of twenty five had poor or no changes. Gene expression pattern of the peripheral lymphocytes of the patients was compared in favorable and poor responders. Lymphocytes of the children with a documented improved clinical response to polarized light therapy showed a decrease in the expression of chemokine genes, such as CXCL1, CXCL2, IL-8 and in that of the tumor necrosis alpha (TNFα) gene. On the contrary, a rapid elevation was found in the expression of gene encoding for CYP4F2, a leukotriene-B(4)-metabolizing enzyme. In children with poor clinical response to polarized light therapy, no similar changes were detected in the gene expression pattern of the lymphocytes.
Conclusions: Improved clinical symptoms and modified gene expression profile of lymphocytes reveals anti-inflammatory effect upon whole body polarized light irradiation.