The State of Intracellular Molecular Regulators during the Reconvalescence of Community-Acquired Pneumonia under the Influence of Microwaves at 1 GHz

Abstract

We evaluated the levels of protein p53, retinoblastoma protein (RB), β-catenin, SMAD2, protein kinases AKT and focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and transcription factor CREB using ELISA in mononuclear leukocytes of patients with community-acquired pneumonia on days 15–17 of the disease. The research results showed that the subclinical immune-inflammatory process was characterized by a higher content of β-catenin by 19.8%, CREB by 23.3%, RB protein by 14.7%, increased phosphorylation level of protein kinase FAK by 19.8%, АKТ1 at serine-473 by 65.6%, and RB by 13.7%. In the cells, there was a decrease in p53 of 15.7%, SMAD2 of 16.9%, and protein kinase АKТ1 of 31.2%. Three hours after 1-GHz microwave irradiation, MNCs displayed a statistically significant increase in their content of the p53 protein of 20.0‰, RB of 9.35‰, β-catenin of 10.9‰, protein kinase FAK of 10.0‰, and CREB of 8.55‰. A day after a single irradiation of the cultures of whole blood cells, in irradiated cells compared to nonirradiated control, we observed a statistically significant increase in the content of p53 of 24.2‰, β-catenin of 15.1‰, SMAD2 of 20.4‰, RB of 9.8‰, as well as a reduction of the initially elevated levels of protein kinase AKT1 of 25.1‰, its phosphorylated form at serine-473 of 16.5‰, and a decrease in the phosphorylated form of the transcription factor CREB at serine-133 of 4.1‰. The research results indicate that a low-intensity microwave frequency of 1 GHz can be considered as a factor in molecular immune rehabilitation in conditions of community-acquired pneumonia.