Ultraviolet light A irradiation induces immunosuppression associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species in human neutrophils

Ultraviolet blood irradiation has been used as a physical therapy to treat many nonspecific diseases in clinics; however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. Neutrophils, the first line of host defense, play a crucial role in a variety of inflammatory responses. In the present work, we investigated the effects of ultraviolet light A (UVA) on the immune functions of human neutrophils at the single-cell level by using an inverted fluorescence microscope. N-Formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP), a classic physiological chemotactic peptide, was used to induce a series of immune responses in neutrophils in vitro. FMLP-induced calcium mobilization, migration, and phagocytosis in human neutrophils was significantly blocked after treatment with 365nm UVA irradiation, demonstrating the immunosuppressive effects of UVA irradiation on neutrophils. Similar responses were also observed when the cells were pretreated with H2O2, a type of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, UVA irradiation resulted in an increase in NAD(P)H, a member of host oxidative stress in cells. Taken together, our data indicate that UVA irradiation results in immunosuppression associated with the production of ROS in human neutrophils.