Photoimmunology

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Abstract
Photoimmunology is the study of the effects of nonionizing radiation on normal and abnormal immune function, a meeting point of the fields of photobiology and immunology. The area is of interest to dermatologists for several reasons: most nonionizing radiation that reaches the immune system traverses the skin; a number of photobiological disorders of the [human] skin are thought to have an immune basis; dermatologists largely control therapeutic exposure to nonionizing radiation; and dermatologists see many of the undesirable effects of environmental exposure to such radiation and some of these may have an immune pathogenesis. The influence of nonionizing radiation on various aspects of the immune system and on immune responses in health and disease is discussed. The topics included are: antigen formation; antibody function; lymphocytes; mast cells; efferent immune responses; general immune responsiveness; solar urticara; polymorphic light eruption; photoallergy; and photocarcinogenesis.