title: Therapeutic electric stimulation does not affect immune status in healthy individuals - a preliminary report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neuromuscular electric stimulation is widely used for muscle strengthening in clinical practice and for preventative purposes. However, there are few reports on the effects of electric stimulation on the immune response of the organism, and even those mainly describe the changes observed immediately after the electrotherapeutic procedures. The objective of our study was to examine the possible immunological consequences of moderate low-frequency transcutaneous neuromuscular electric stimulation for quadriceps muscle strengthening in healthy individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 10 healthy volunteers (5 males, 5 females, mean age 37.5 years). At the beginning and after a two-week electric stimulation program, muscle strength was measured and peripheral blood was collected to analyse white blood cells by flow cytometry for the expression of cell surface antigens (CD3, CD19, CD4, CD8, CD4/8, DR/3, NK, Th reg, CD25 + CD3+, CD25 + CD4+, CD25 + CD8+, CD69 + CD3+, CD69 + CD4+, CD69 + CD8+) and phagocytosis/oxidative killing function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Muscle strength slightly increased after the program on the dominant and the nondominant side. No statistically or clinically significant difference was found in any of the measured blood and immune cells parameters as well as phagocytosis and oxidative burst function of neutrophil granulocytes and monocytes one day after the program.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The program of transcutaneous low-frequency electric stimulation slightly strengthened the quadriceps femoris muscle while producing no changes in measured immunological parameters. Hence, therapeutic low-frequency electric stimulation appears not to be affecting the immune response of healthy persons.
authors: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors: Andreja N
authors: AN
authors: Kopitar
authors: Vladimir
authors: V
authors: Kotnik
authors: Gaj
authors: G
authors: Vidmar
authors: Alojz
authors: A
authors: Ihan
authors: Primoz
authors: P
authors: Novak
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Stefancic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000502:physiology