Evaluating the effects between metal mixtures and serum vaccine antibody concentrations in children: a prospective birth cohort study

Abstract

Background: Many populations are exposed to arsenic, lead, and manganese. These metals influence immune function. We evaluated the association between exposure to single and multiple metals, including arsenic, lead, and manganese, to humoral immunity as measured by antibody concentrations to diphtheria and tetanus toxoid among vaccinated Bangladeshi children. Additionally, we examined if this association was potentially mediated by nutritional status. Methods: Antibody concentrations to diphtheria and tetanus were measured in children's serum at age 5 (n = 502). Household drinking water was sampled to quantify arsenic (W-As) and manganese (W-Mn), whereas lead was measured in blood (B-Pb). Exposure samples were taken during pregnancy, toddlerhood, and early childhood. Multiple linear regression models (MLRs) with single or combined metal predictors were used to determine the association with antibody outcomes. MLR results were transformed to units of percent change in outcome per doubling of exposure to improve interpretability. Structural equation models (SEMs) were used to further assess exposure to metal mixtures. SEMs regressed a latent exposure variable (Metals), informed by all measured metal variables (W-As, W-Mn, and B-Pb), on a latent outcome variable (Antibody), informed by measured antibody variables (diphtheria and tetanus). Weight-forage z-score (WFA) at age 5 was evaluated as a mediator.

Current scenario of COVID-19 in pediatric age group and physiology of immune and thymus response

“…Special differences were reported in children related to difference based on gender, only female group was susceptible to metal-related alteration in antibody concentrations. Weight against age, nutritional condition, did not show the link between vaccine antibody and the metal mixture (Welch et al, 2020).…”

Testing the Limit: Evaluating Drinking Water Arsenic Regulatory Levels Based on Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Bangladesh

“…Drinking water samples were collected from the participants primary drinking water source which was a groundwater tube well and arsenic concentrations were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Sample collection methods are described elsewhere [ 28 , 29 ]. Briefly, water was collected at the time of enrollment for all women.…”

Cohort profile: The Pregnancy, Arsenic, and Immune Response (PAIR) Study, a longitudinal pregnancy and birth cohort in rural northern Bangladesh

“…Over the past decade, multiple studies have found that arsenic was associated with altered cellular [5] and humoral immune responses [6][7][8] and increased risk of infection, acute morbidity, and related mortality [9][10][11][12]. Of particular concern is immunotoxicity following exposure during pregnancy and early life [13].…”

“…Of particular concern is immunotoxicity following exposure during pregnancy and early life [13]. However, while exposure in utero has been associated with reduced pathogen-specific antibody responses to some childhood vaccinations [6][7][8] and increased risk of respiratory and gastrointestinal morbidities in children [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21], less is known about arsenic and the immune response in pregnant women and newborns during the first months of life. In addition, arsenic methylation facilitated by one-carbon metabolism appears to modify arsenic toxicity for certain chronic disease outcomes [22].…”

“…Arsenic causes bladder, lung, and skin cancers [2] and has been associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and the metabolic syndrome [3,4]. Over the past decade, multiple studies have found that arsenic was associated with altered cellular [5] and humoral immune responses [6–8] and increased risk of infection, acute morbidity, and related mortality [9–12]. Of particular concern is immunotoxicity following exposure during pregnancy and early life [13].…”