The Environment-Immune Route to Chronic Disease

Abstract

Specific environmental factors including chemicals, drugs, microbes, and both physical and psychological factors can affect the immune system producing dysfunction and, ultimately, an increased risk of chronic disease. Several different types of immune alterations can result from environmentally induced immunotoxicity and these connect immune insult to chronic disease. We illustrate how many immune-based chronic diseases arising in nonlymphoid tissues may be categorized based on the target tissue (e.g., skin, lung) rather than on the probable cause: a dysfunctional immune system. Finally, we discuss various factors that affect: (1) susceptibility to immunotoxicity and (2) the specific spectrum of disease outcomes following exposure.