In utero arsenic exposure and fetal immune repertoire in a US pregnancy cohort

Kari C Nadeau; Zhigang Li; Shohreh Farzan; Devin Koestler; David Robbins; Dennis Liang Fei; Meena Malipatlolla; Holden Maecker; Richard Enelow; Susan Korrick; Margaret R Karagas

doi:10.1016/j.clim.2014.09.004

In utero arsenic exposure and fetal immune repertoire in a US pregnancy cohort

Clin Immunol. 2014 Dec;155(2):188-97. doi: 10.1016/j.clim.2014.09.004. Epub 2014 Sep 16.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Division of Immunology and Allergy, Stanford University, 730 Welch Road, Stanford, CA, USA. Electronic address: Knadeau@stanford.edu.
² Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, NH 03755, USA. Electronic address: Zhigang.Li@Dartmouth.edu.
³ Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, NH 03755, USA. Electronic address: Shohreh.F.Farzan@Dartmouth.edu.
⁴ Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, NH 03755, USA. Electronic address: Devin.C.Koestler@Dartmouth.edu.
⁵ University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1600 NW 10th Ave #1140, Miami, FL 33136, USA. Electronic address: drobbins@med.miami.edu.
⁶ University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1600 NW 10th Ave #1140, Miami, FL 33136, USA. Electronic address: dlfei@med.miami.edu.
⁷ Institute for Immunity, Transplantation, and Infection, Stanford University, 299 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
⁸ Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, NH 03755, USA. Electronic address: Richard.I.Enelow@Dartmouth.edu.
⁹ Brigham and Women's Hospital, Department of Medicine, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 181 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: susan.korrick@channing.harvard.edu.
¹⁰ Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, NH 03755, USA. Electronic address: Margaret.R.Karagas@Dartmouth.edu.

Abstract

Arsenic has wide-ranging effects on human health and there is evidence that it alters the immune response by influencing CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratios, IL-2 cytokine levels, and the expression of immune-response genes. We investigated the impact of in utero environmental arsenic exposure on immune development and function in newborns participating in a pregnancy cohort in New Hampshire, U.S., where arsenic levels have exceeded the current EPA maximum contaminant level of 10 μg/L. Our results showed that maternal urinary arsenic concentrations were inversely related to absolute total CD45RA+ CD4+ cord blood CD69+ T cell counts (N=116, p=0.04) and positively associated with CD45RA+ CD69- CD294+ cell counts (p=0.01). In placental samples (N=70), higher in utero urinary arsenic concentrations were positively associated with the expression of IL1β (p=0.03). These data provide evidence that relatively low-level arsenic exposure in utero may alter the fetal immune system and lead to immune dysregulation.

Keywords: AQP9; Arsenic; IL1β; Immune function; In utero; T cell.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Adult
Arsenic / adverse effects*
Female
Fetal Blood / cytology
Gene Expression
Humans
Immune System / drug effects*
Immune System / physiology*
Immunophenotyping
Infant, Newborn
Interleukin-1beta / genetics
Interleukin-1beta / metabolism
Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
Male
Maternal Exposure / adverse effects*
New Hampshire
Phenotype
Placenta / immunology
Placenta / metabolism
Pregnancy
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / immunology*
Risk Factors
T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism

Substances

Interleukin-1beta
Arsenic

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding