Allergy and Immunotoxicology

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The Allergy and Immunotoxicity Scientific Committee (AISC) focuses on investigating and discussing the pathophysiological mechanisms regarding the allergic and imunotoxicological effects of environmental as well as occupational substances. Former esteemed chairpersons of our SC were Prof. Toshio Matsushita, (Kagoshima, Japan), Prof. Paolo Boscolo (Chieti, Italy), and Prof. Kanehisa Morimoto (Osaka, Japan) and Prof. Mario Di Gioacchino (Chieti, Italy).
Recently, numerous newly developed substances have been increasingly introduced among the occupational settings. The best practice would be avoiding exposure; however, it is necessary to define new prevention methods by using in vitro and in silico procedures. Another step forward is represented by the analysis of the immunotoxicological effects of various substances on the environment as well as occupational contexts.
The Allergy and Immunotoxicology SC has been actively working to understand the pathophysiology of occupational allergy and immunotoxicity, prevention and management of occupational environment as well as workers suffering from associated pathological conditions. Members of the SC of Allergy and Immunotoxicology have been investigating on fibrous and particulate matters such as silica, asbestos and nanomaterials.
In the past years, SC members met up in occasion of several special Midterm Symposiums in Italy, China and Japan called “International Symposium on Occupational and Environmental Allergy and Immune Diseases” (ISOEAID). In 2015, at the 31st ICOH meeting held in Seoul, Korea, we shared new information about prevention and management of allergens in occupational allergy, traditional and emerging occupational allergy, on work-related and non industrial indoor related asthma and on molecular and cellular mechanisms in lung specific immune responses to particulates; moreover, the foundation of a biorepository of biological specimen from asbestos exposed ex-workers and matched clinical data for prospective research was announced as well as new experimental findings regarding the effects of asbestos on human regulatory T cells and cytotoxic T cells. In addition, understanding of immunotoxicity of engineered nanomaterials for sustainable nanotechnology were presented. Interesting data were shown in the poster section regarding glass allergic asthma, sensitization in workers exposed to urban air pollution, in silico analysis, solar radiation and the immune system and phagocytic alteration in leukocytes exposed to benzene. In addition, immunological alterations in silicosis patients, induction of autoantibody production by mineral oil, and cell cycle alteration in human lymphocytes exposed to Pd nanoparticles were presented.
In 2017, a group of SC members have published the eBook “Allergy and Immunotoxicology in Occupational Health” (Takemi O., Petrarca C. and Di Gioacchino M. Editors, Springer). The table of contents can be found at : www.springer.com/gp/book/9789811003493. The book topics are novel and represent complete reviews of the experimental and epidemiological data gathered by SC members work under the view of the prevention and management of occupational risk. This attainment was made possible by the enthusiastic participation of Dr. Dobashi, Dr. Kawasaki, Dr Kuroda, Dr. Nishimura, Dr. Otzuki and Dr. Sato (Japan), Dr. Di Gioacchino, Dr. Murgia, Dr. Larese Filon, Dr. Pedata, Dr. Petrarca (Italy) and Dr. Niu (China) and collaborators.