Air Pollution and Immune Function

Abstract

Air pollution has clear impacts on human health and is associated with both cardiopulmonary complications as well as exacerbating chronic disease. As a principal site of exposure to air pollution, the lung is central to the health effects of air pollution. One of the potential mechanisms that air pollution could adversely impact health is dysregulation of host immune response. Evolving scientific evidence support that air pollution has myriad effects on pulmonary immune responses. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the impact of air pollution on immune function. We focus on the three major environmental pollutants: particulate matter; vehicle/diesel exhaust; and ambient ozone and the impact of exposure on both innate and adaptive immunological responses. Improved understanding of the impact of air pollution on immunological function could provide novel insight into the pathogenesis of common human disease.