title: Effects of in utero arsenic exposure on child immunity and morbidity in rural Bangladesh.
abstract: Chronic exposure to arsenic, a potent carcinogen and toxicant, via drinking water is a worldwide public health problem. Because little is known about early-life effects of arsenic on immunity, we evaluated the impact of in utero exposure on infant immune parameters and morbidity in a pilot study. Pregnant women were enrolled at 6-10 weeks of gestation in Matlab, a rural area of Bangladesh, extensively affected by arsenic contamination of tubewell water. Women (n=140) delivering at local clinics were included in the study. Anthropometry and morbidity data of the pregnant women and their children, as well as infant thymic size by sonography were collected. Maternal urine and breast milk were collected for immune marker and arsenic assessment. Maternal urinary arsenic during pregnancy showed significant negative correlation with interleukin-7 (IL-7) and lactoferrin (Ltf) in breast milk and child thymic index (TI). Urinary arsenic was also positively associated with fever and diarrhea during pregnancy and acute respiratory infections (ARI) in the infants. The effect of arsenic exposure on ARI was only evident in male children. The findings suggest that in utero arsenic exposure impaired child thymic development and enhanced morbidity, probably via immunosuppression. The effect seemed to be partially gender dependent. Arsenic exposure also affected breast milk content of trophic factors and maternal morbidity.
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), Dhaka, Bangladesh. rubhana@icddrb.org
authors.forename: Rubhana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raqib
authors.forename: Sultan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Rokeya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sultana
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wagatsuma
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.forename: A M Waheedul
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hoque
authors.forename: Barbro
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nermell
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yunus
authors.forename: Shantonu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Lars Ake
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.forename: Shams El
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Arifeen
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vahter
mesh_terms: D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000032:analysis; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000276:immunology; D009017:Morbidity; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D012424:Rural Population; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: C508605:IL7 protein, human; D015851:Interleukin-7; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D007781:Lactoferrin; D001151:Arsenic