EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURES
Studies based on serum pneumoproteins show that not only acute but also chronic exposure to NCl3 can increase the lung epithelium permeability and thereby perhaps facilitate the transepithelial delivery of allergens to dendritic cells30 and contribute to a T2-dependent immune response31,32. Recent experimental evidence in mice has shown that chronic chlorine inhalation contributes to exacerbate airways inflammation in asthma by mobilizing pro-inflammatory macrophages into the lung as well as stimulating group 2 and 3 ILCs33.
The barrier disruption effect may occur also on the dermal layer. The high temperature of the water, the hydration of the skin and the disrupting effects of CBPs on the skin barrier are all factors that in combination decrease the water-holding capacity of the skin stratum corneum34 and greatly facilitate the permeation of CBPs across the skin, especially thin areas such as the scrotum.