Effects of 900-MHz Radio Frequencies on the Chemotaxis of Human Neutrophils in Vitro.

Aly AA, Cheema MI, Tambawala M,  Laterza R, Zhou E, Rathnabharathi K, Barnes FS

IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 55(2): 795-797, 2008

Summary: The effects of radio frequency (RF) fields on the ability of human neutrophils to follow concentration gradients of Cyclic Adenosine 3', 5'-Monophosphate (C-AMP) are reported.

Blood from healthy adult donors was exposed in vitro to different temperatures and 900-MHz RF field at approximately 0.4 V/m. It was observed that the neutrophils' speed increased with increasing temperatures from 35 ^oC to 40 ^oC where it peaked and then decreased above 40 ^oC without RF exposure. When 900-MHz RF field was applied, the speed increased above the value observed at the same temperature, and the maximum speed exceeded that measured value at any temperature by approximately 50%.

The calculated temperature change resulting from the RF exposure was less than one microdegree. The direction of motion changed from along the concentration gradient and the electrical field lines to motion at right angles to the concentration gradient and the electric field. The average time for the neutrophils to respond to the effect of RF radiation was about 2.5 min.