Abstract
Medical therapy with ozone began in the 1930s in Germany and since then has been carried out in a fairly empirical fashion until recently when modern ozone generators allow a precise quantitation of ozone. There are several ways for administering ozone but the optimal system is via major autohaemotherapy (MAH), which consists in the rapid exposure ex vivo of up to 300 ml of freshly collected blood to a gas mixture composed of oxygen-ozone followed by reinfusion into the donor. The recent explanation of the major mechanism of action and the concomitant scarce effectiveness of conventional approaches have given new vigour to the field of ozone therapy, showing interesting therapeutic applications. In comparison to the serious side-effects noted after either administration of recombinant cytokines or of cytokine inducers, the lack of toxicity after MAH has been attributed to the release of cytokines, comparable to physiological conditions, in various cellular microenvironments with the consequence of a progressive immunorestoration. This review attempts to point out that while the toxicity of inhaled ozone is well known, its potential therapeutic effect has been hardly appreciated and should not be neglected any longer.