title: JP-8 jet fuel exposure results in immediate immunotoxicity, which is cumulative over time.
abstract: The US Air Force has implemented the widespread use of JP-8 jet fuel in its operations, although a thorough understanding of its potential effects upon exposed personnel is unclear. In the present study, the immediate effects of JP-8 exposure on the immune system were analyzed. Exposure of mice once to a single 1000 mg/m3 concentration of JP-8 for one hour resulted in significant immune organ weight loss and loss of viable immune cells from the spleen within two hours post-exposure. Although a similar exposure had no effect on thymus organ weight, it did result in significant losses of viable immune cells at one hour post-exposure. It was also observed that a loss of viable bone marrow cells could be seen at four hours post-exposure, with a return to baseline levels by 24 hours post-exposure. In terms of peripheral blood immune cells, a significant loss of viable immunecells was observed within one hour post-exposure, which became more pronounced with time. Further, it was observed that a single one-hour JP-8 exposure resulted in an immediate loss of immune function at one hour post-exposure that did not recover within 24 hours. An extension of the above experiments revealed that each additional one hour/day of exposure to 1000 mg/m3 of JP-8 promulgates the significant immunotoxicity described above. That is, spleenic organ weights, as well as viable cell numbers, continued to decline with additional days of short-term exposure. Thymic organ weights were significantly reduced at three to four days of one-hour exposures, with a continuing loss of viable cell numbers. Significantly, functional immune responses continued to deteriorate with each additional day of JP-8 exposure. Thus, low concentration JP-8 jet fuel exposures have significant effects on the immune system, these effects occur rapidly and these effects are cumulative over time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. davidh@u.arizona.edu
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sakiestewa
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Titone
authors.forename: R Scott
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Witten
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D005579:Fossil Fuels / Q000633:toxicity; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000633:toxicity*; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010578:Petroleum / Q000633:toxicity; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005579:Fossil Fuels; D006838:Hydrocarbons; C098607:JP8 aviation fuel; D010578:Petroleum