Non-pharmacological immunomodulation

This thesis examined immunomodulatory effects of two non-pharmacological interventions: 1) a training program involving breathing exercises, cold exposure, and meditation, and 2) remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC), where cycles of ischemia and reperfusion are applied to the fore-arm. The training program enabled healthy volunteers to voluntarily modulate their autonomic nervous system and immune response, characterized by increased plasma concentrations of adrenaline and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 as well as reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines, fever, and flu-like symptoms during experimental human endotoxemia. Combining breathing exercises with cold exposure was more effective than the individual parts. Trained subjects also experienced reduced pain sensitivity and lower hair cortisol levels. These results suggest benefits of the training program on inflammation, pain, and stress, which may hold promise for the treatment of auto-immune diseases. 
Although RIPC showed beneficial effects in animal models, it did not modulate the immune response in healthy volunteers during experimental human endotoxemia.