ABSTRACT
31 healthy volunteers at the age of 19 to 29 years underwent whole-body irradiations by either ultraviolet radiation (NARVA UVS 65-2; continuous sunshine-like emission, predominantly UVA plus 8% UVB; cumulative doses after 4 and 20 irradiations 8.8 J/cm2 and 51.0 J/cm2, respectively), or visible light (emission of a 3,500 Watt lamp HGMI 3500 DL, Tungsram CSSR, filtered through 6 mm window glass; cumulative dose 267.0 J/cm2 after 4 irradiations) or infrared radiation (250 Watt infrared lamps NARVA "Biotherm", emitting more than 70% infrared radiation; cumulative dose 159.0 J/cm2 after 4 irradiations). Before, during and after the irradiation series the following investigations were made: Arterial and venous oxygen pressure, oxygen utilization index; flow properties of peripheral blood (plasma viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation kinetics, apparent blood viscosity); hemodynamics (veineal plethysmography, 133Xenon clearance, functional diameter of small blood vessels, peripheral blood pressure), phagocytotic capacity of polymorphonuclear white blood cells; hematological parameters (blood sedimentation rate, polymorphonuclear and eosinophilic blood cells, red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit), serum proteins (IgG, IgA, IgM, complement C3, alpha-1-glycoprotein, alpha-1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, transferrin); calcium and phosphate in serum. As far as irradiance, dose and treatment frequencies are concerned, the experimental conditions were very similar to those in phototherapeutical practice. Under these circumstances there were no hints for unwanted early effects after application of all the three kinds of optical radiation used in that study. Considerable systemic responses exclusively were found by use of ultraviolet radiation. Under these experimental conditions according to dermatological phototherapy it has been proven the following biopositive systemic responses are due to happen: increase of serum calcium and phosphate, improvement of blood oxygen utilization, improvement of blood flow properties, and enhanced phagocytic capacity of polymorphonuclear white blood cells. Regarding the parameters taken in that study, no early unwanted side effects are to expect after therapeutical application of rather large doses of visible light or infrared radiation.
