CHEMICAL-SENSITIVITY AND THE IMMUNE-SYSTEM - A PARADIGM TO APPROACH POTENTIAL IMMUNE INVOLVEMENT

This paper approaches the issue of chemical sensitivity and the immune system though a consideration of established environmentally-induced immune alterations which have particular relevance to the broader topi c of chemical sensitivity. Additionally, the report discusses the pote ntial problems associated with prior narrow evaluation strategies for the assessment of environmentally-induced inflammation. A combined app roach to assessment drawing upon biomarkers of both the immune and neu rological systems is suggested. Such an approach recognizes the key ro les which mediators of these two systems play in facilitating host inf lammatory responses. The paper concludes with a discussion of the type s of specific immune alterations which, from a mechanistic perspective , are likely to be involved with any linkage of chemical sensitivity t o the immune system. (C) Intox Press, Inc. 1998.