Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that early-life lead exposure alters immune system functions, including T-cell dependent antibody responses to childhood immunizations. However, no studies have identified critical windows of susceptibility to lead exposure. To identify perinatal critical windows of lead exposure that are associated with antibody responses to anti-MMR (anti-measles, -mumps, and -rubella virus) and anti-DTP (anti-diphtheria, -tetanus, and -pertussis toxoids) vaccinations in Hispanic school-aged (mean± standard deviation: 4.8±0.6 years) children. Weekly lead exposure-from 16 weeks before to 14 weeks after birth-was measured in deciduous teeth from 271 children enrolled in the PROGRESS study. Serum levels of anti-MMR and anti-DTP antibodies were measured by a Luminex-multiplexed-microbead-array immunoassay. Time-varying associations between log2-transformed dentine lead concentrations and log2-transformed antibody levels were estimated by fitting distributed lag non-linear models. A two-fold higher dentine lead concentration in the first three weeks postpartum was associated with an average -4.29% lower anti-tetanus level (95%confidence interval(CI):-8.22,-0.20). A perinatal (one week before to one week after birth) critical window of lead exposure demonstrated an average -3.44% (95%CI:-7.05;0.30) lower anti-diphtheria antibody level. Our study suggests that early-life lead exposure may contribute to immune dysfunction by reducing children's antibody responses to scheduled vaccinations.
Published Version
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