Lehmann Irina, Sack Ulrich, Lehmann Jörg
Department of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany.
Met Ions Life Sci. 2011;8:157-85.
Certain heavy metals have been reported to seriously affect the immune system potentially resulting in a broad range of harmful health effects. Reported alterations in immune cell function include a variety of affected mechanisms. Thereby, depending on the particular metal, its concentration, route and duration of exposure, and biologic availability, the net outcome may be either immunosuppression or stimulation of immune cell activity. Since the key importance of the immune system is protection of the host against pathogenic agents, an impaired immune competence inevitably increases the susceptibility to invading pathogens. However, being aware that the immune system represents a sensitively regulated network of different cells, tissues, and soluble mediators it has to be stated that any form of dys-regulation may result in adverse health effects with overstimulation being as harmful as inhibition of functional activity. Chronic-inflammatory reactions, cancer development, hypersensitivity, allergic and autoimmune diseases are known consequences of persisting overstimulation. All these manifestations were already found to be related with heavy metal exposure.
据报道，某些重金属会严重影响免疫系统，可能导致一系列广泛的有害健康影响。据报道，免疫细胞功能的改变包括多种受影响的机制。因此，根据特定的金属、其浓度、接触途径和持续时间以及生物可利用性，最终结果可能是免疫抑制或免疫细胞活性的刺激。由于免疫系统的关键重要性在于保护宿主免受病原体侵害，免疫能力受损不可避免地会增加对入侵病原体的易感性。然而，必须认识到免疫系统是一个由不同细胞、组织和可溶性介质组成的敏感调节网络，任何形式的调节失调都可能导致不良健康影响，过度刺激与功能活动抑制一样有害。慢性炎症反应、癌症发展、超敏反应、过敏和自身免疫性疾病是持续过度刺激的已知后果。所有这些表现都已被发现与重金属暴露有关。
