Effect of cadmium body burden on immune response of school children.
The effects of cadmium on measures of immune-system function were determined from a health survey of school children in heavily polluted regions of eastern Germany. A representative sample of 842 students, aged 5-14 y, was included in logistic regression analyses in which the relationship between urinary cadmium content and blood immunoglobulin levels was examined. Investigators further evaluated a subsample of 807 students to determine cadmium's effect on the immediate hypersensitivity reactions elicited by skin-prick challenges with 12 common aeroallergens. Several potentially confounding factors were controlled for, after which investigators found that increasing body burdens of cadmium were associated consistently with dose-dependent suppression of immediate hypersensitivity and of immunoglobin G, but not immunoglobulins M, A, or E levels. The immunoglobulin pattern observed in exposed children led investigators to suggest that secondary humoral responses were impaired by cadmium.
Ritz
B
B
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles 90095-1772, USA.
Heinrich
J
J
Wjst
M
M
Wichmann
E
E
Krause
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D001822:Body Burden; D002104:Cadmium / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000652:urine*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005858:Germany; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000276:immunology*; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects*; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects*; D016015:Logistic Models; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012882:Skin Tests; D013334:Students
D007136:Immunoglobulins; D002104:Cadmium