ID Number		1031
Study Type		Human / Provocation
Model		900 MHz (GSM) exposure to mobile phone users and analysis of allergic skin responses
Details		Human subjects (n=52) with a history of eczema and dermatitis (AEDS) were exposed for 60 minutes to mobile phone RF and analyzed for skin wheal responses. Skin prick with allergen was performed prior to exposure or sham exposure, and after 60 minutes skin wheal size was examined. RF exposure was reported to enhance skin responses from the house dust mite and Japanese cedar pollen but not from histamine. Exposure also increased plasma substance P and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) levels. The authors suggest mobile phone exposure may enhance allergen-induced wheal responses in association with the release of SP and VIP. In a somewhat related study using the mobile phone not as a source of RF, but simply as an example of "a common and intrusive part of Japanese life" the authors found mobile phone ringing for 10 seconds every few minutes during the watching of a relaxing movie enhanced allergic responses with a concomitant increase in release of substance P, vasoactive intestinal peptide and nerve growth factor. The authors suggest that the annoyance of the ringing disrupting common daily activities may cause stress, in turn aggravating symptoms of atopic AEDS syndrome. In a recent follow-on study, human subjects (n = 30) with AEDS and allergic to latex (but not Japanese cedar pollen) were randomly exposed / sham at the right ear with a mobile phone (transmitting with no sound while they viewed a weather information video). The handset had a max SAR rating of 1.62 W/kg. The authors reported the RF exposure to latex sensitive AEDS subjects (but not normal subjects) significantly increased latex-specific IgE (avg 4.3 ng/ml to 7.3 ng/ml), as well as decreased Th1 and increased Th2 cytokines.
Findings		Effects
Status		Completed With Publication
Principal Investigator		Unitika Hospital, Kyoto, Japan
Funding Agency		Private/Instit.
Country		JAPAN
References		Kimata, H Allergy, (2005) 60:838-839 Kimata, H Int Arch Allergy Immunol, (2002) 129:348-350 Kimata, H Eur J Clin Invest, (2003) 33:513-517
Comments		Exposure in the RF exposure study performed by TYING the phone around the subjects neck (at least in the first study) - 4 cm below the chin. No known transmit power level or exposure in any study. Heating from phone battery during 60 minute exposure would have presumably alerted subjects to exposure, and heat may have influenced skin reactions - not controlled for in either AEDS study. All subjects were first exposed together as a group, then after 1 week all sham exposed together.