Meggs W J
Department of Emergency Medicine, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
Toxicol Ind Health. 1999 Apr-Jun;15(3-4):331-8. doi: 10.1177/074823379901500307.
Allergy and chemical sensitivity are closely related disorders in which environmental exposures produce inflammatory reactions. For allergy, environmental proteins bind to IgE antibody on mast cells leading to the release of inflammatory mediators. In chemical sensitivity, low molecular weight chemicals bind to chemoreceptors on sensory nerve C-fibers leading to the release of inflammatory mediators. Clinical manifestations are similar in the two conditions. The overlap between the two conditions has a basis in mechanism, so the similarity of clinical manifestations and high percentage of individuals with both conditions may have a biological basis. Chronic exposures can lead to adaptation phenomena. Depression has been associated with both allergy and chemical sensitivity. Both the allergic and chemical irritant responses may be subjected to conditioning so that the response is triggered by other stimuli. Evidence for conditioning is strongest for allergy. Both allergy and chemical sensitivity can be acquired in association with irritant exposures.
过敏和化学物质敏感是密切相关的病症，环境暴露会引发炎症反应。对于过敏而言，环境中的蛋白质与肥大细胞上的IgE抗体结合，导致炎症介质释放。在化学物质敏感方面，低分子量化学物质与感觉神经C纤维上的化学感受器结合，导致炎症介质释放。两种病症的临床表现相似。这两种病症之间的重叠有其机制基础，因此临床表现的相似性以及同时患有这两种病症的个体比例较高可能有生物学依据。长期暴露会导致适应现象。抑郁症与过敏和化学物质敏感都有关联。过敏反应和化学刺激反应都可能受到条件作用的影响，从而使反应由其他刺激引发。条件作用的证据在过敏方面最为确凿。过敏和化学物质敏感都可能与刺激性暴露相关而产生。
