title: Serum vaccine antibody concentrations in children exposed to perfluorinated compounds.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have emerged as important food contaminants. They cause immune suppression in a rodent model at serum concentrations similar to those occurring in the US population, but adverse health effects of PFC exposure are poorly understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether PFC exposure is associated with antibody response to childhood vaccinations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study of a birth cohort from the National Hospital in the Faroe Islands. A total of 656 consecutive singleton births were recruited during 1997-2000, [corrected] and 587 participated in follow-up through 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum antibody concentrations against tetanus and diphtheria toxoids at ages 5 and 7 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Similar to results of prior studies in the United States, the PFCs with the highest serum concentrations were perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Among PFCs in maternal pregnancy serum, PFOS showed the strongest negative correlations with antibody concentrations at age 5 years, for which a 2-fold greater concentration of exposure was associated with a difference of -39% (95% CI, -55% to -17%) in the diphtheria antibody concentration. PFCs in the child's serum at age 5 years showed uniformly negative associations with antibody levels, especially at age 7 years, except that the tetanus antibody level following PFOS exposure was not statistically significant. In a structural equation model, a 2-fold greater concentration of major PFCs in child serum was associated with a difference of -49% (95% CI, -67% to -23%) in the overall antibody concentration. A 2-fold increase in PFOS and PFOA concentrations at age 5 years was associated with odds ratios between 2.38 (95% CI, 0.89 to 6.35) and 4.20 (95% CI, 1.54 to 11.44) for falling below a clinically protective level of 0.1 IU/mL for tetanus and diphtheria antibodies at age 7 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated exposures to PFCs were associated with reduced humoral immune response to routine childhood immunizations in children aged 5 and 7 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 401 Park Dr, EOME 3E-110, Boston, MA 02215, USA. pgrand@hsph.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grandjean
authors.forename: Elisabeth Wreford
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Esben
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Budtz-Jørgensen
authors.forename: Flemming
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Kåre
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mølbak
authors.forename: Pal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weihe
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heilmann
mesh_terms: D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003718:Denmark; D004168:Diphtheria Toxoid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D007114:Immunization; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017747:Seafood; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D004168:Diphtheria Toxoid; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls