Research Highlights the Associations Between Immune Response of Environmental Toxicants and Neurodevelopment
A recent MIND Institute study has found that exposure to the environmental toxicant polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE ) affects immune cell function differently in children with autism compared to neurotypical children. PBDEs are a class of chemicals added to certain manufactured products to reduce the chance that those products will catch on fire. While this study discovered there was no significant difference in plasma levels of PBDE congeners between the two groups, children on the spectrum showed a strong correlation between the ability of T cells to respond to various stimuli and total PBDE plasma concentration. The authors also found that lower-brominated PBDE congeners, which have a longer half-life and contribute to enhanced bioaccumulation, were consistently negatively correlated with both inflammatory and regulatory T cell cytokine production in children with autism. The current study highlights the importance of examining the association between immune response and plasma concentration of environmental toxicants in the context of neurodevelopment, especially in vulnerable populations such as children on the autism spectrum.
