Effect of lead exposure on the immune function of lymphocytes and erythrocytes in preschool children.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influence of lead exposure on the immune function of lymphocytes and erythrocytes in preschool children.


METHODS
A group of 217 children three to six years of age from a rural area were given a thorough physical examination and the concentration of lead in blood samples taken from each subject was determined. The indices of lymphocyte immunity (CD+3CD+4, CD+3CD+8, CD+4CD+8, CD-3CD+19) and erythrocyte immunity (RBC-C3b, RBC-IC, RFER, RFIR, CD35 and its average fluorescence intensity) of 40 children with blood lead levels above 0.483 micromol/L were measured and compared with a control group.


RESULTS
The blood lead levels of the 217 children ranged from 0.11 micromol/L to 2.11 micromol/L. The CD+3CD+4 and CD+4CD+8 cells were lower (P<0.01) and the CD+3CD+8 cells were higher in the lead-poisoned subjects than those in the control group (P<0.05). CD+3 and CD-3CD+19 did not show significant differences. Although the RBC-C3b rosette forming rate was lower and the RBC-IC rosette forming rate was higher in the lead-poisoned group, this difference could not be shown to be statistically significant (P>0.05). RFIR was found to be lower in the lead-poisoned group (P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the positive rate of CD35 was not found to be significantly different in a group of 25 lead-poisoned children (P>0.05), while the average fluorescence intensity was lower in the lead-poisoned group (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Lead exposure can result in impaired immune function of T lymphocytes and erythrocytes in preschool children.
Zhao
Zheng-Yan
ZY
Affiliated Children's Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China. zhaozy@zju.edu.cn
Li
Rong
R
Sun
Li
L
Li
Zhi-Yu
ZY
Yang
Ru-Lai
RL
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D017463:Receptors, Complement 3b / Q000032:analysis
D017463:Receptors, Complement 3b; D007854:Lead