Lymphocyte subsets, responses of lymphocytes to mitogens and serum immunoglobulin levels before and after a 2-month period of physical therapy using breathing exercise in a pool filled with 38°C hot-spring water was evaluated in 10 patients with chronic pulmonary emphysema. Compared with the similar patients who did not receive physical therapy, the CD4
+ cells, ratio of CD4
+/CD8
+ cells and responses of lymphocytes to mitogens were increased significantly, though the CD8
+ cells and serum levels of immunoglobulins G, A and M were not changed. In addition,
FEV1.0% increased significantly, though %
VC and
V25 were not changed. These findings suggest that breathing exercise by immersion increases the immune function as well as pulmonary function in emphysematous patients.
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