title: Analysis of T-cell proliferation and cytokine secretion in the individuals exposed to arsenic.
abstract: Over six million people in nine districts of West Bengal, India are exposed to very high levels of arsenic primarily through their drinking water. More than 300,000 people showed arsenic-induced skin lesions in these districts. This is regarded as the greatest arsenic calamity in the world. Chronic arsenicosis causes varied dermatological signs ranging from pigmentation changes, hyperkeratosis to non-melanocytic cancer of skin, and also malignancies in different internal organs. Higher incidences of opportunistic infections are found in the arsenic-exposed individuals, indicating that their immune systems may be impaired somehow. We have thus investigated the effect of arsenic on T-cell proliferation and cytokine secretion in 20 individuals with arsenic-induced skin lesions and compared the results with 18 arsenic-unexposed individuals. A marked dose-dependent suppression of Concanavalin A (Con A) induced T-cell proliferation was observed in the arsenic-exposed individuals compared with the unexposed (P < 0.001) individuals. This correlated with a significant decrease in the levels of secreted cytokines by the T cells (TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL2, IL10, IL5, and IL4) in the exposed individuals (P < 0.001). Thus it can be inferred that arsenic exposure can cause immunosuppression in humans.
authors: Molecular and Human Genetics Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata-700032, India.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Biswas
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Ghosh
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Banerjee
authors: J K
authors: JK
authors: Das
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Sau
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Banerjee
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Roy
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Ganguly
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Chatterjee
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Mukherjee
authors: A K
authors: AK
authors: Giri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020261:Arsenic Poisoning / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D003208:Concanavalin A