Skin rubdown with a dry towel activates natural killer cells in bedridden old XXXX .

@entity1 @entity64 @entity404 @entity405 @entity1851
BACKGROUND: Skin rubdown using a dry towel to scrub the whole body is a traditional procedure. Because massage therapy is effective in improving cellular immunity, skin rubdown may also have the similar effects. MATERIAL/METHODS: Sixteen bedridden old @entity1 , who had suffered a @entity64 , were studied. Skin rubdown for about 10 minutes was added for 10 days. Blood was collected at noon on the day before skin rubdown, 5 and 10 days after initiation and 5 days after completion, and the neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, serum gamma-globulin and @entity1851 ( @entity1851 ) levels and natural killer cell activity were measured. In 9 of these 16 @entity1 , B, T, @entity404 and @entity405 lymphocyte counts were additionally measured on the same days. RESULTS: There were no significant changes in the time course of the lymphocyte count, @entity1851 levels. The neutrophil count increased 10 days after initiation of the skin rubdown, and natural killer cell activity increased 5 and 10 days after initiation, and returned to the baseline level 5 days after completion. Although there were no changes in the time course of the B, T, @entity404 and @entity405 lymphocyte counts, the @entity404 / @entity405 ratio showed an increase 5 days after initiation and completion. CONCLUSIONS: Skin rubdown activates natural killer cells, which may be attributed to the effect of certain mediators released from the T lymphocytes and/or the stimulated effect on the sympathetic nerves. This technique may be used to reduce a variety of complications caused by the decreased immunity observed in bedridden old @entity1 .
