title: Immunological responses to ultraviolet light B radiation in Black individuals.
abstract: Immunological factors are important participants in the pathogenesis of experimental skin tumors. We therefore studied cutaneous immune responses in subjects with either low natural incidence (Black individuals), or a high frequency rate (White individuals) of skin cancer. We performed whole body irradiation with a low dose of ultraviolet light B (UV-B) and evaluated peripheral lymphocytes. UV-B irradiation was associated with small but significant changes in lymphocyte phenotype frequency. In White subjects this consisted of an increased number of CD19 (B cells) and CD 4/29 (inducer of helper T cells); Black subjects had a slight decrease in CD3 (T cells). Natural killer activity, not affected by UV-B in White subjects, increased significantly in Black subjects. UV-B was devoid of immunological effects in vitro for any of the parameters tested. As expected, the low UV-B dose used in this study induced increases of serum vitamin D3 concentrations in White subjects, with lack of response in the Black subjects. We conclude that Black individuals selectively exhibit an increase in Natural Killer activity in response to irradiation with low dose UV-B. This race group-specific immune response to ultraviolet radiation appears to require mediation by the skin. Enhanced Natural Killer activity could underlie at least partly the resistance in Black individuals to the development of photodependent skin cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McConnachie
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wortsman
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Holick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008875:Middle Aged; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000208:ethnology*; D010641:Phenotype; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*; D044465:White People; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation