环境雌激素与自身免疫的关系。
The role of environmental estrogens and autoimmunity.
机构信息
Research Laboratory on Immuno-Rheumatology, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
出版信息
Autoimmun Rev. 2012 May;11(6-7):A493-501. doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2011.11.027. Epub 2011 Dec 4.
The prevalence of autoimmune diseases has significantly increased over the recent years. It has been proposed that this epidemiological evidence could be in part attributable to environmental estrogens, compounds that display estrogen-like activity and are ubiquitously present in the environment. Environmental estrogens can be found in a wide variety of foods: phytoestrogens occur in plants such as clover and soy, while mycoestrogens are food contaminants produced by fungi. Meat, eggs and dairy products from animals given exogenous hormones contain relatively high concentration of estrogens. Among xenoestrogens, industrial estrogens are synthetic chemicals produced for specific purposes (pesticides, plastics, surfactants and detergents) while metalloestrogens are found in heavy metals. Estrogens can be also administered through medications (contraceptive pill, hormone replacement therapy, genistein, cimetidine, creams). There is a considerable burden of evidence in vitro and in animal models that these compounds may exert immunotoxic effects. However, to date there is no convincing data that exposure to environmental estrogens can be regarded as a risk for human health. In particular, there is no consensus whether prolonged exposure to relatively low concentrations of different estrogenic chemicals can affect the human immune system and induce clinically evident diseases in real-life scenario. Moreover, the effects on human health of the synergistic interactions between natural, medical, dietary and environmental estrogens have not been fully elucidated yet. Here we provide an extensive review of the in vivo and in vitro effects of environmental estrogens on the immune system, focusing on the evidences of association between exposure and autoimmune disorders.
自身免疫性疾病的患病率近年来显著增加。有人提出,这种流行病学证据部分可能归因于环境雌激素,即具有雌激素样活性且广泛存在于环境中的化合物。环境雌激素存在于各种食物中:植物雌激素存在于三叶草和大豆等植物中,而真菌产生的真菌雌激素则是食物污染物。用外源激素喂养的动物的肉、蛋和奶制品含有相对较高浓度的雌激素。在异雌激素中,工业雌激素是为特定目的(杀虫剂、塑料、表面活性剂和洗涤剂)而生产的合成化学品,而金属雌激素则存在于重金属中。雌激素也可以通过药物(避孕药、激素替代疗法、染料木黄酮、西咪替丁、乳膏)给药。有大量体外和动物模型的证据表明,这些化合物可能具有免疫毒性作用。然而,迄今为止,没有令人信服的证据表明接触环境雌激素会对人类健康构成威胁。特别是,目前尚无共识认为,长期接触不同浓度的雌激素类化学物质是否会影响人类免疫系统,并在现实生活中引发明显的临床疾病。此外,天然、医学、饮食和环境雌激素之间的协同相互作用对人类健康的影响尚未得到充分阐明。在这里,我们广泛回顾了环境雌激素对免疫系统的体内和体外影响,重点关注暴露与自身免疫性疾病之间关联的证据。