title: Immunologic effects of perinatal exposure to dioxins, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in Japanese infants.
abstract: Effects of perinatal exposure to dioxins, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides on lymphocyte subsets were investigated in the peripheral blood from 101 Japanese infants with approximately 10 months of age. Perinatal exposure to these organochlorine compounds were estimated by their contamination levels in the breast milk of the mothers. Lymphocyte subsets such as CD16+, HLA-DR+, CD4+, CD4+8+, CD8+, CD3+ and CD20+ cells in peripheral venous blood were assessed in a subgroup of 92 infants. Greater exposures to HCE, chlordane and dioxins were significantly associated with the increase in the percentages of CD8+ and CD3+ T lymphocytes and CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratios, respectively. In addition, higher HCH exposure was also associated with a decrease in the percentage of HLA-DR+ T lymphocytes. Furthermore effects of dioxins, DDT and PCBs on the percentage of CD16+ T lymphocyte were more pronounced by the combined exposure of dioxins and PCBs or by the combined exposure of DDT and PCBs. Effects of HCE on the percentages of CD8+ T lymphocyte were also more pronounced by the combined exposure of HCE and chlordane. In conclusion, our study suggests that greater exposures to dioxins, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides determined in this study (except dieldrin) influence the immune system of Japanese infant, although the clinical significance of these changes is uncertain.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Molecular Epidemiology, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan. jun@shs.kyushu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Junya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nagayama
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Takahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsueda
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirakawa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yanagawa
authors.forename: Jun'ichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fukushige
authors.forename: Tadayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D004147:Dioxins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D010575:Pesticides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls