A temporal trend can be seen in recent human history where the dominant causes of death have shifted from infectious to chronic diseases in industrialized societies. Human influences in the current “Anthropocene” epoch are exponentially impacting the environment and consequentially health. Changing ecological niches are suggested to have created health transitions expressed as modifications of immune balance from infections inflicting pathologies in the Holocene epoch (12,000 years ago) to human behaviors inflicting pathologies beginning in the Anthropocene epoch (300 years ago). A review of human immune health and adaptations responding to environmental (biological, chemical, physical, and psychological) stresses, which are influenced by social conditions, emphasize the involvement of fluctuations in immune cell subsets affecting influential gene–environment interactions. The literature from a variety of fields (anthropological, immunological, and environmental) is incorporated to present an expanded perspective on shifts in diseases within the context of immune balance and function and environmental immunology. The influences between historical and contemporary human ecology are examined in relation to human immunity. Several examples of shifts in human physiology and immunity support the premise that increased incidences of chronic diseases are a consequence of human modification of environment and lifestyle. Although the development of better health care and a broader understanding of human health have helped with better life quality and expectancy, the transition of morbidity and mortality rates from infections to chronic diseases is a cause for concern. Combinations of environmental stressors/pollutants and human behaviors and conditions are modulating the immune-neuroendocrine network, which compromises health benefits.

中文翻译：

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从感染到人为致病：免疫平衡的参与

在最近的人类历史中可以看到一种暂时的趋势，在这种趋势下，工业化社会中主要的死亡原因已从传染病转变为慢性病。在当前的“人类世”时代，人类的影响正在成倍地影响环境并因此影响健康。据建议，不断变化的生态位已经造成了健康过渡，表现为免疫平衡的改变，从造成全新世时期（12,000年前）病理的感染到人类行为导致人类世（300年前）病理的转变。审查受社会条件影响的人类免疫健康和适应环境（生物，化学，物理和心理）压力的适应措施，强调免疫细胞亚群的波动会影响基因与环境之间的相互作用。来自各个领域（人类学，免疫学和环境学）的文献被纳入，以在免疫平衡和功能以及环境免疫学的背景下，对疾病变化提出扩展的观点。研究了历史和当代人类生态学之间与人类免疫力有关的影响。人类生理和免疫力发生变化的几个例子都支持这样的前提，即慢性疾病的发生率增加是人类对环境和生活方式的改变的结果。尽管更好的医疗保健和对人类健康的广泛理解有助于改善生活质量和预期寿命，发病率和死亡率从感染到慢性疾病的转变令人担忧。环境应激源/污染物与人类行为和状况的结合正在调节免疫神经内分泌网络，从而损害了健康益处。