Pre-natal Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances May Be Associated with Altered Vaccine Antibody Levels and Immune-Related Health Outcomes in Early Childhood
Open accessAbstract
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are suggested to have immunosuppressive effects; exposure in utero and in the first years of life is of special concern as fetuses and small children are highly vulnerable to toxicant exposure. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of pre-natal exposure to PFAS on responses to pediatric vaccines and immune-related health outcomes in children up to 3 years of age. In the prospective birth-cohort BraMat, a sub-cohort of the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), pregnant women from Oslo and Akershus, Norway, were recruited during 2007-2008. Three annual questionnaire-based follow-ups were performed. Blood samples were collected from the mothers at the time of delivery and from the children at the age of 3 years. As a measure of pre-natal exposure to PFAS, the concentrations of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were determined in maternal blood from 99 BraMat participants. Main outcome measures were anti-vaccine antibody levels, common infectious diseases and allergy- and asthma-related health outcomes in the children up to the age of 3 years. There was an inverse association between the level of anti-rubella antibodies in the children's serum at age 3 years and the concentrations of the four PFAS. Furthermore, there was a positive association between the maternal concentrations of PFOA and PFNA and the number of episodes of common cold for the children, and between PFOA and PFHxS and the number of episodes of gastroenteritis. No associations were found between maternal PFAS concentrations and the allergy- and asthma-related health outcomes investigated. The results indicate that pre-natal exposure to PFAS may be associated with immunosuppression in early childhood.
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A number of studies have demonstrated that elevated concentrations of PFAS can lead to immunosuppression, increased severity of infections, and decreased response to vaccines.
“A number of studies have demonstrated that elevated concentrations of PFAS can lead to immunosuppression, increased severity of infections, and decreased response to vaccines”
From A Critical Review and Meta-Analysis of Impacts of Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances on the Brain and Behavior (2022) · cites this paper as Granum et al., 2013
The Discussion and Conclusion associate higher prenatal PFAS exposure with lower rubella-vaccine antibody levels, more episodes of common cold and gastroenteritis, and possible immunosuppression. They report infection frequency, not severity, and describe associations rather than demonstrating that PFAS causes these outcomes. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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- Authors
- Granum, B., Haug, L. S., Namork, E., Stølevik, S. B., Thomsen, C., Aaberge, I. S., van Loveren, H., Løvik, M., & Nygaard, U. C.
- Affiliations
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NO)
- Corresponding author
- Granum, Berit
- Venue
- Journal of Immunotoxicology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2013-01-25
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 373-379
- ISSN
- 1547-6901 (ISSN-L)
- 1547-691X
- OpenAlex
- W2064994678
- Cited by
- 339
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 33 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 5
- FWCI
- 13.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Immunotoxicology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion)
- Rivm Repository (Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immunotoxicology and immune responses
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
- Keywords
- perfluorinated compounds, prenatal exposure, immunosuppression, vaccine antibody response, rubella antibodies, perfluorooctanoic acid, PFNA, PFHxS, PFOS, common cold, gastroenteritis, pediatric allergy, childhood asthma
- MeSH terms
- Alkenes, Antibodies, Viral, Asthma, Caprylates, Child, Preschool, Common Cold, Female, Fluorocarbons, Follow-Up Studies, Gastroenteritis, Humans, Hypersensitivity, Immunosuppression Therapy, Male, Norway, Pregnancy, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Prospective Studies, Vaccines, Cohort Studies, Incidence, Prevalence, Treatment Outcome, Alkanesulfonic Acids
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