Biologically effective doses of sunlight for immune suppression at various latitudes and their relationship to changes in stratospheric ozone.

Using information on solar irradiance at different latitudes derived from a radiative transfer model and a detailed in vivo action spectrum for immune suppression in a murine system, we report here calculations of the "biologically effective" irradiance of sunlight for immune suppression. From 40 degrees N to 40 degrees S in summer, under normal stratospheric ozone concentrations this value ranged from 0.27 W/m2 (40 degrees N or S) to a peak of 0.33 W/m2 (20 degrees N or S) predicting that 50% immune suppression in the Balb/c mouse would occur after 21-26 min of sunlight exposure within this latitude range. We also found that the most effective wavelengths for immune suppression shift from a peak of 270 nm in the laboratory to near 315 nm in sunlight. Furthermore, using ozone depletion scenarios of 5 to 20%, at latitudes 20 degrees S and 40 degrees N, a 0.6% increase in biologically effective irradiance levels of solar UVB for immune suppression was predicted for each 1% decrease of ozone. This value rose to a nearly 1% increase for each 1% decrease in ozone at 60 degrees N latitude in wintertime. These data indicate that activation of immune suppression, in a murine model, requires relatively low levels of sunlight and that these levels are easily obtainable over most of the populated regions of the world. Since a UVB-activated photoreceptor, urocanic acid, regulates immune suppression in mice and since this same compound exists on other mammalian skin, including human skin, suppression of the mammalian immune system is predicted to increase if substantial stratospheric ozone depletion takes place.