Marcer G, Saia B
Istituto di Medicina del Lavoro, Università di Padova.
G Ital Med Lav. 1989 Jan-Mar;11(1-2):27-32.
A large number of xenobiotics (i. e. chemicals, drugs and biologicals) may adversely affect the immune system in consequence of different mechanisms: 1) the capacity of a large variety of xenobiotics to cause an allergic sensitization and different types of allergic sequelae (e.g. bronchial asthma, rhinitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, contact dermatitis); 2) the adjuvant effect, potentiating the IgE mediated immuno-response against ubiquitous allergens (e.g. pollens); 3) the direct or indirect action on the immune system, at doses that did not cause overt toxicity. This effect is studied by a new discipline, called Immunotoxicology; 4) the indirect action on the target organ, which facilitate the onset of respiratory symptoms in previously asymptomatic subjects. The widespread distributions of xenobiotics in the environment suggests that our current knowledge of their adverse health effects may represent only the tip of the iceberg and that exposure to such immunotoxic agents may play a greater role than heretofore suspected in disease causation. The exposure to immunotoxic agents in the workplace might represent and additional risk to HIV positive individuals.
大量的外源性物质（即化学物质、药物和生物制品）可能通过不同机制对免疫系统产生不利影响：1）多种外源性物质引发过敏致敏和不同类型过敏后遗症（如支气管哮喘、鼻炎、过敏性肺炎、接触性皮炎）的能力；2）佐剂效应，增强针对常见过敏原（如花粉）的IgE介导的免疫反应；3）在未引起明显毒性的剂量下对免疫系统的直接或间接作用。这一效应由一门名为免疫毒理学的新学科进行研究；4）对靶器官的间接作用，促使先前无症状的个体出现呼吸道症状。外源性物质在环境中的广泛分布表明，我们目前对其不良健康影响的了解可能只是冰山一角，接触此类免疫毒性物质在疾病成因中可能比以往认为的发挥更大作用。在工作场所接触免疫毒性物质可能会给HIV阳性个体带来额外风险。
