title: Helsinki alert of biodiversity and health.
abstract: Urban living in built environments, combined with the use of processed water and food, may not provide the microbial stimulation necessary for a balanced development of immune function. Many chronic inflammatory disorders, including allergic, autoimmune, metabolic, and even some behavioural disorders, are linked to alteration in the human commensal microbiota. Sedentary lifestyle is associated with reduced exposure to a broad spectrum of environmental micro-organisms and surplus energy balance, both risk factors of chronic inflammatory disorders. According to the Biodiversity Hypothesis, an environment with diverse macrobiota and microbiota modifies and enriches the human microbiota, which in turn is crucial in the development and maintenance of appropriate immune function. These issues were discussed in the symposium 'Chronic Inflammation, Lifestyle and Environment', held in Helsinki, 20-22 August 2014, under the sponsorship of the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation. This paper briefly outlines the recent findings in the context of the environment, lifestyle, and health; discusses the forces that undermine immune tolerance in urban environments; and highlights the possibilities to restore broken immune tolerance among urban dwellers, summarizing the main messages in four statements and calling for actions to combat major public health threats.
authors.affiliation: Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation , Helsinki , Finland.
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: von Hertzen
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beutler
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bienenstock
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blaser
authors.forename: Patrice D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Cani
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: Martti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Färkkilä
authors.forename: Tari
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haahtela
authors.forename: Ilkka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hanski
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jenmalm
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kere
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knip
authors.forename: Kimmo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kontula
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koskenvuo
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mandrup-Poulsen
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: von Mutius
authors.forename: Mika J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mäkelä
authors.forename: Tiina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paunio
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pershagen
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Renz
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rook
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saarela
authors.forename: Outi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vaarala
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Veldhoen
authors.forename: Willem M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: de Vos
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity / Q000276:immunology; D044822:Biodiversity; D002908:Chronic Disease; D066273:Diet, Western; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D064307:Microbiota / Q000276:immunology*; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D014507:Urbanization
keywords: Biodiversity; Western diet; chronic inflammatory disease; microbiota; sedentary lifestyle