Air pollution, dysbiosis and diseases: pneumonia, asthma, COPD, lung cancer and irritable bowel syndrome

With substantial effects on human health, air pollution has become a major global concern. Air pollution has been linked to numerous gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases with increasing mortalities. The gut and respiratory dysbiosis brought about by air pollution has recently received much attention. This review attempts to provide an overview of the types of air pollutants, their sources, their impact on the respiratory and gut dysbiotic patterns and their correlation with five major diseases including pneumonia, asthma, COPD, lung cancer and irritable bowel syndrome. Deeper insights into the links between pollutants, dysbiosis and disease may pave the way for novel diagnostic biomarkers for prognosis and early detection of these diseases, as well as ways to ease the disease burden.