The incidence of autoimmune diseases has been steadily rising. Concomitantly, the
incidence of most infectious diseases has declined. This observation gave rise to the …

The brain and the immune system are not fully formed at birth, but rather continue to mature
in response to the postnatal environment. The two-way interaction between the brain and …

The intestinal microbiota plays an important role in development of the immune system and
regulation of immune responses. This review summarizes the association between the …

Autoimmune diseases, with the exception of rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune thyroiditis,
are individually rare, but together they affect approximately 5 percent of the population in …

Background. Declining family size is one factor that has been proposed to contribute to
increasing asthma and hay fever prevalence, but its relative importance has not been …

Chronic inflammation contributes to the onset and progression of cardiovascular disease
and other degenerative diseases of aging. But does it have to? This article considers the …

Throughout the twentieth century, there were striking increases in the incidences of many
chronic inflammatory disorders in the rich developed countries. These included autoimmune …

Allergic rhinitis, asthma, and atopic eczema are among the commonest causes of chronic ill
health. These diseases are increasing in prevalence, and they add considerably to the …

This paper reviews how the health of humans is affected by the world's soils, an association
that to date has been under appreciated and under reported. Soils significantly influence a …

Compared with living free, the parasitic way of life has many attractions. Parasites create
problems for all animals. Potential hosts can respond by learning to live with parasites …