New perspectives on cytokine pathways modulation by pesticide exposure.

Abstract Immune cells are able to release a variety of inflammation mediators, activating pro- and anti-inflammatory processes and regulating intracellular pathways. Consequences of chronic or early-life exposure to pesticides may be extended beyond innate immune dysfunction to the increased risk of late-life chronic inflammatory-based diseases. This study aims to summarize some of the most recent advancements in occupational toxicology, focusing on biological mechanisms linking environmental exposure to pesticides, inflammation and cytokine modulation, as well as genetic polymorphisms or epigenetic modifications which can represent factors of vulnerability for exposed workers. Choosing appropriate toxicity biomarkers is also one of the main concerns in the field of immunotoxicology; for this purpose new technologies have been introduced for the monitoring of pesticides blood levels along with molecular alterations. These approaches will allow the assessment of the actual body burden of environmental pollutants associating it with a screening for the early diagnosis of pathologies.