Search

Workers employed at chemical productions run risks of occupational allergic diseases with chemical etiology. These risks should be assessed and relevant prevention activities are to be substantiated; in this respect it is vital to reveal essence, peculiarities, and mechanisms of hyperimmune response when a body is exposed to a mixture of chemicals with various allergenic and toxic properties. We performed a series of experiments to examine allergenic properties of 57 various chemical mixtures and their separate components; the experiments involved modeling of intradermal introduction in standard doses into albino guinea pigs (ears) or into white mice (bases of tails), the substances were mixed with complete Freund's adjuvant. The obtained results allowed to reveal that intensity of allergenic activity shown by chemical mixtures was determined both by intensity of allergenic properties possessed by specific components in a mixture and by additivity of their immunomodulating effects under combined exposure. These effects naturally depend on a combination of various allergens in a mixture, their contents and quantitative ratios, as well as occurrence of substances with non-specific adjuvant and toxic properties in a mixture. And combined allergenic effects produced by a mixture of chemicals that contains strong chemical allergens in high quantities tend to enhance hyperergic immune response (potentiating) to weaker allergenic components. Predominantly potentiating combined allergenic effects produced by a mixture of chemicals on a body occur due to interrelated mechanisms of specific (elimination of tolerance to conjugate epitopes and modified carrier protein, occurrence of cross-reactive antigen determinants etc.) and non-specific immune modulation (adjuvant, irritating, and immune-toxic effects produced by chemical components in a mixture).

Immune status of healthy people, patients with secondary immunodeficiency and allergic diseases is assessed. To reduce the number of characteristics of immunity (23 indicators) to a number of the generalizing factors the multivariate analysis is used (principal component method). This method consistently reveals the principal components – independent functional complexes of interacting factors, with the characteristic of force of their interrelation. The principal components reflect communications between separate indicators and are located in size of their contribution to the total amount of information. The method is applied to structuring immunological indicators and a possibility of detection of features (distinctions) of the immune status of patients with secondary immunodeficiency and allergic diseases. The method of principal components when it is applied to the assessment of immune status creates welldefined pattern of a functional condition of the immune system, accentuating main types of the reacting immunocompetent cells, their combinations and interaction. In the general immune status of healthy people (blood donors) the T cell compartment (the first and second the principal components) plays the major role. The second in importance components reflect the humoral immunity status. The indicators describing the response of the innate immunity (natural killer cells, the system phagocytic cells), follow them. Mathematical modeling reveals hierarchy of responses of innate and adaptive immunity, which is in agreement with established mechanisms of immune response. Differences of individual indicators of principal components of donors blood (norm), the patients with secondary immunodeficiency and allergic diseases built in the first, second and fourth to the principal components are detected. They group and display the status of 40% of the total amount (dispersion) of immunological information taken in the analysis accentuating quantity and a functionality of T cells subpopulations and to a lesser extent – the level of B cells. In case of secondary immunodeficiency the major part of distribution of values principal individual components is in a zone of negative values, and in case of allergic diseases – in a zone of positive values, indicators of the norm are in the intermediate position. Distribution of the principal component, reflecting immunoregulatory index is similar. The principal component value describing the activation of T cells, exceeded the norm, in case of secondary immunodeficiency, and in case of allergies. Multivariate mathematical analysis of immune status demonstrates its usefulness for differential diagnosis of secondary immunodeficiency and an allergic diseases.

The mucous membrane of the nasal cavity is the opening part of the respiratory tract which has a number of functions among which protection is the most important. Once in the nasal cavity, the inhaled air is mechanically cleaned of dust pollutants, humidified and warmed. About 10 thousand litres of air pass through the nose during a day. The nasal mucosa also hinders penetration of pathogens (bacteria, fungi, viruses) into the lungs.

Overwhelming evidence is documented showing that human activities affect the global climate. Climate change poses a significant, emerging threat to public health and is one of the greatest environmental, social and economic hazards faced by the planet. Various effects are already being felt, ranging from global warming to rising sea levels as a result of melting polar ice, and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as storms, floods, droughts and heat waves. The temperature changes contribute to increases in morbidity and mortality associated with lung diseases. Global warming, combined with increased humidity, favors the development of pathogenic micro- organisms in geographic areas where this would not normally occur. The prevalence of allergic diseases and the duration of seasonal allergic disorders (allergic rhinitis, asthma) have increased in recent decades in the industrialized world. The rising average temperature of the lower atmosphere increases the concentration of "bad" ozone in photochemical smog, exacerbating respiratory problems. Air pollution, mainly particulate matter and ozone, give rise to particular risk, especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, people with cardio-respiratory problems, neonates and infants. Patients at higher risk are those who already suffer from chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, severe allergies or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]