Extremely low frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields increase interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) utilization and IL‐2 receptor expression in mitogen‐stimulated human lymphocytes from old subjects

The effects of the exposure of mitogen‐stimulated human lymphocytes from aged subjects to low‐frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) were studied by measuring the production of interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) and the expression of IL‐2 receptor. PEMF‐exposed cultures that presented increased [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation showed lower amounts of IL‐2 in their supernatants, but higher percentages of IL‐2 receptor‐positive cells and of T‐activated lymphocytes. Taken together, these data suggest that PEMFs were able to modulate mitogen‐induced lymphocyte proliferation by provoking an increase in utilization of IL‐2, most likely acting on the expression of its receptor on the plasma membrane.