title: The kinetics of cell surface receptor expression in children perinatally exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls.
abstract: Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) during pre-natal and early life can alter normal immune system development. Blood specimens from newborns, 6-, and 16-month-old infants were collected in the Michalovce and Svidnik/Stropkov districts, areas with, respectively, high and low environmental PCB contamination, and lymphocyte receptor expression was evaluated by multi-color flow cytometry. The results indicate that the percentage of lymphoid dendritic cells (DC) and naïve/resting T-lymphocytes were significantly increased at 6-months in Michalovce as compared to the same cell types in cord blood samples (p < 0.001), whereas natural regulatory T-lymphocytes and suppressor inducer T-lymphocytes were reduced (p < 0.001). Overall, a positive linear correlation of terminally differentiated effector memory (TEM) T-lymphocyte population with age, but a negative linear correlation for myeloid DC from birth to 6-months in both regions were found. Michalovce samples indicated significantly higher expression of memory T-lymphocytes (birth, 6(th), and 16(th) month), TEM T-lymphocytes (birth and 6(th) month), and lymphoid DC (6(th) month) compared to the Svidnik/Stropkov regions. After adjustment for relevant covariates, such as maternal age, parity, season of birth, breastfeeding, birth weight, and gender, the myeloid DC, suppressor inducer T-lymphocytes, truly naïve helper/inducer T-lymphocytes, and TEM T-lymphocytes remained significantly different between districts in cord blood samples. The multivariate analysis models for 6- and 16-month samples showed district differences in all cellular determinants, except for lymphoid DC and macrophage-like cells. This study provides the first evidence that pre-natal and early post-natal exposure to PCBs affects the dynamics of cell surface receptor expression on lymphoid DC and DC-like cells, suggesting impaired immunologic development following pre-natal and early post-natal PCB exposure.
authors: Department of Immunology and Immunotoxicology, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia. mira.horvathova@szu.sk
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Horváthová
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Jahnová
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Palkovičová
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Trnovec
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Hertz-Picciotto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls