Immunotoxicity, Immune Dysfunction, and Chronic Disease

• Corporate Author: SpringerLink (Online service)
• Other Authors: Dietert, Rodney R. (Editor), Luebke, Robert W. (Editor)
• Format: Electronic eBook
• Language: English
• Published: Totowa, NJ : Humana Press : Imprint: Humana Press, 2012.
• Series: Molecular and Integrative Toxicology,
• Subjects: Medicine.; Immunology.; Molecular biology.; Pharmacology.; Biomedicine.; Pharmacology/Toxicology.; Molecular Medicine.

 Immunotoxicity, Immune Dysfunction, and Chronic Disease is among the first books to illustrate the linkage between environmental risk factors (e.g., chemicals, drugs, diet, lifestyles), environmentally-induced immune dysfunction and the full range of resulting chronic diseases and conditions. There is a detailed discussion of specific immune-based chronic diseases and conditions that emerge in children and adults and affect different physiological systems. The book integrates a consideration of risk factors and specific immunotoxic alterations with disease outcomes. A significant number of diseases and conditions are discussed, such as systemic allergic diseases affecting the lung, skin and gastrointestinal tract, systemic autoimmune diseases (type 1 diabetes,multiple sclerosis and lupus) and chronic conditions that are not traditionally associated with chemically-mediated immunomodulation (depression, frailty, and atherosclerosis). Inflammatory dysregulation is a common thread that connects many of the diseases and conditions discussed in this book and provides a central focus.  Individual chapters are organized by disease with the addition of chapters that provide integrative information on: 1) patterns of disease comorbidities and 2) the safety testing of chemicals and drugs to reduce the risk of immune dysfunction.  Each chapter contains a summary of key points as well as recommendations when appropriate. The book stresses the benefits of identifying the environmental risk factors of immune-mediated chronic disease and the potential to reduce the prevalence of these diseases and conditions.  This volume is a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, risk assessors and regulators and students.   . 

 Introduction to Immunotoxicity -- The Environment-Immune Route to Chronic Disease -- Asthma and Respiratory Allergies -- Cutaneous Allergies -- Food Allergies -- Factors Involved in Onset of Type1 Diabetes -- Rheumatoid Arthritis -- Environment, Immune Dysfunction and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus -- Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s Disease and Inflammation: A  Hypothetical View -- Immune Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorders -- Atherosclerosis and Inflammatory Heart Disease -- Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Celiac Disease: Environmental Risks Factors and Consequences -- COPD and Other Inflammatory Diseases of the Lung:  Focus on AhR signaling -- Environment, the Immune System, and Depression: An Integrative Review and Discussion of the Infection-Defense Hypothesis -- Cancer – Childhood Acute Leukemia -- Environmental Toxicants and Susceptibility to Infection -- Reducing the Prevalence of Immune-Based Chronic Disease.