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Ait Lhaj F, Elhamri H, Ait Lhaj Z, Malisch R, Kypke K, Kabriti M, El Hajjaji S, Bellaouchou A. First WHO/UNEP survey of the current concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in human milk in Morocco. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess 2023; 40:282-293. [PMID: 36520182 DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2022.2154852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in human milk is an indicator of the level of these substances in the environment and enables evaluation of the potential exposure of breastfed children. POPs concentrations in a Moroccan human milk pooled sample (59 donors) were determined for the first time by the WHO reference laboratory to provide a baseline and allow monitoring of the future trends for those persistent organohalogen compounds. Eighty-one different POPs, including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) were identified and quantified by using gas chromatography (GC) with an electron capture detector (ECD) and confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/LRMS). The obtained results showed that the sum of DDT (sum of o,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDD, o,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDT, and p,p'-DDT) was 237.9 ng/g, representing 94.0% of all detected OCPs levels, with a dominance of p,p'-DDE, and p,p'-DDT. Cis-heptachlor epoxide, HCB, and HCH were found at much lower levels. PCB indicator level was 60.7 ng/g of lipid, with the dominance of PCB 138, PCB 153, and PCB 180, presenting 98.3% of the total. Among the 25 PBDE congeners quantified, BDE-47, BDE-153, BDE-197, and BDE-207 were the dominant congeners account for 15.4% of the total concentration of PBDE (1.3 pg/g lipid). The lipid-adjusted level of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs expressed in Toxic Equivalents (TEQs: 6.65 pg/g) were lower in comparison to those found in the other countries. In summary, detected POPs levels in Moroccan human milk were much lower compared to the other countries, reflecting the effectiveness of the compliance with Stockholm Convention requirements on eliminating or reducing emissions of selected POPs. Continued monitoring is needed for these compounds, for which this is the first data available, provided by the WHO/UNEP survey in Morocco.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farida Ait Lhaj
- Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Nanotechnologies and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, Center of Materials, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco.,Department of Toxicology, Health Ministry, National Institute of Health, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Hecham Elhamri
- Department of Toxicology, Health Ministry, National Institute of Health, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Zakaria Ait Lhaj
- Physiology and Physiopathology Team, Faculty of Sciences, Genomic of Human Pathologies Research Centre, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Rainer Malisch
- State Institute for Chemical and Veterinary Analysis of Food (CVUA), Freiburg, Germany
| | - Karin Kypke
- State Institute for Chemical and Veterinary Analysis of Food (CVUA), Freiburg, Germany
| | - Mohamed Kabriti
- Laboratory of Ecology and Environment, Faculty of Sciences Ben M'Sik, University Hassan II Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Souad El Hajjaji
- Laboratory of Molecular Spectroscopy Modelling, Materials, Nanomaterials, Water and Environment, Faculty of Science, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Abdelkabir Bellaouchou
- Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Nanotechnologies and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, Center of Materials, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
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Pedroza-Escobar D, Castillo-Maldonado I, González-Cortés T, Delgadillo-Guzmán D, Ruíz-Flores P, Cruz JHS, Espino-Silva PK, Flores-Loyola E, Ramirez-Moreno A, Avalos-Soto J, Téllez-López MÁ, Velázquez-Gauna SE, García-Garza R, Vertti RDAP, Torres-León C. Molecular Bases of Protein Antigenicity and Determinants of Immunogenicity, Anergy, and Mitogenicity. Protein Pept Lett 2023; 30:719-733. [PMID: 37691216 DOI: 10.2174/0929866530666230907093339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The immune system is able to recognize substances that originate from inside or outside the body and are potentially harmful. Foreign substances that bind to immune system components exhibit antigenicity and are defined as antigens. The antigens exhibiting immunogenicity can induce innate or adaptive immune responses and give rise to humoral or cell-mediated immunity. The antigens exhibiting mitogenicity can cross-link cell membrane receptors on B and T lymphocytes leading to cell proliferation. All antigens vary greatly in physicochemical features such as biochemical nature, structural complexity, molecular size, foreignness, solubility, and so on. OBJECTIVE Thus, this review aims to describe the molecular bases of protein-antigenicity and those molecular bases that lead to an immune response, lymphocyte proliferation, or unresponsiveness. CONCLUSION The epitopes of an antigen are located in surface areas; they are about 880-3,300 Da in size. They are protein, carbohydrate, or lipid in nature. Soluble antigens are smaller than 1 nm and are endocytosed less efficiently than particulate antigens. The more the structural complexity of an antigen increases, the more the antigenicity increases due to the number and variety of epitopes. The smallest immunogens are about 4,000-10,000 Da in size. The more phylogenetically distant immunogens are from the immunogen-recipient, the more immunogenicity increases. Antigens that are immunogens can trigger an innate or adaptive immune response. The innate response is induced by antigens that are pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Exogenous antigens, T Dependent or T Independent, induce humoral immunogenicity. TD protein-antigens require two epitopes, one sequential and one conformational to induce antibodies, whereas, TI non-protein-antigens require only one conformational epitope to induce low-affinity antibodies. Endogenous protein antigens require only one sequential epitope to induce cell-mediated immunogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Pedroza-Escobar
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | - Irais Castillo-Maldonado
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | - Tania González-Cortés
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | - Dealmy Delgadillo-Guzmán
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | - Pablo Ruíz-Flores
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | - Jorge Haro Santa Cruz
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | - Perla-Karina Espino-Silva
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | - Erika Flores-Loyola
- Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27276, Mexico
| | - Agustina Ramirez-Moreno
- Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27276, Mexico
| | - Joaquín Avalos-Soto
- Cuerpo Academico Farmacia y Productos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Universidad Juarez del Estado de Durango, Gomez Palacio, Mexico
| | - Miguel-Ángel Téllez-López
- Cuerpo Academico Farmacia y Productos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Universidad Juarez del Estado de Durango, Gomez Palacio, Mexico
| | | | - Rubén García-Garza
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | | | - Cristian Torres-León
- Centro de Investigacion y Jardin Etnobiologico, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Viesca, Coahuila, 27480, Mexico
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Germolec DR, Lebrec H, Anderson SE, Burleson GR, Cardenas A, Corsini E, Elmore SE, Kaplan BL, Lawrence BP, Lehmann GM, Maier CC, McHale CM, Myers LP, Pallardy M, Rooney AA, Zeise L, Zhang L, Smith MT. Consensus on the Key Characteristics of Immunotoxic Agents as a Basis for Hazard Identification. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:105001. [PMID: 36201310 PMCID: PMC9536493 DOI: 10.1289/ehp10800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Key characteristics (KCs), properties of agents or exposures that confer potential hazard, have been developed for carcinogens and other toxicant classes. KCs have been used in the systematic assessment of hazards and to identify assay and data gaps that limit screening and risk assessment. Many of the mechanisms through which pharmaceuticals and occupational or environmental agents modulate immune function are well recognized. Thus KCs could be identified for immunoactive substances and applied to improve hazard assessment of immunodulatory agents. OBJECTIVES The goal was to generate a consensus-based synthesis of scientific evidence describing the KCs of agents known to cause immunotoxicity and potential applications, such as assays to measure the KCs. METHODS A committee of 18 experts with diverse specialties identified 10 KCs of immunotoxic agents, namely, 1) covalently binds to proteins to form novel antigens, 2) affects antigen processing and presentation, 3) alters immune cell signaling, 4) alters immune cell proliferation, 5) modifies cellular differentiation, 6) alters immune cell-cell communication, 7) alters effector function of specific cell types, 8) alters immune cell trafficking, 9) alters cell death processes, and 10) breaks down immune tolerance. The group considered how these KCs could influence immune processes and contribute to hypersensitivity, inappropriate enhancement, immunosuppression, or autoimmunity. DISCUSSION KCs can be used to improve efforts to identify agents that cause immunotoxicity via one or more mechanisms, to develop better testing and biomarker approaches to evaluate immunotoxicity, and to enable a more comprehensive and mechanistic understanding of adverse effects of exposures on the immune system. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10800.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dori R. Germolec
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Herve Lebrec
- Translational Safety & Bioanalytical Sciences, Amgen Research, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Stacey E. Anderson
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Gary R. Burleson
- Burleson Research Technologies, Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andres Cardenas
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Emanuela Corsini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sarah E. Elmore
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Barbara L.F. Kaplan
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| | - B. Paige Lawrence
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Geniece M. Lehmann
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Curtis C. Maier
- In Vitro In Vivo Translation, Research and Development, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cliona M. McHale
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - L. Peyton Myers
- Division of Pharm/Tox, Office of Infectious Diseases, Office of New Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Marc Pallardy
- Inserm, Inflammation microbiome immunosurveillance, Université Paris-Saclay, Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Andrew A. Rooney
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lauren Zeise
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Luoping Zhang
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Martyn T. Smith
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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Developmental Exposure to Endocrine Disrupter DDT Interferes with Age-Related Involution of Thymus. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23126678. [PMID: 35743120 PMCID: PMC9223823 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on the development and involution of the immune system is a possible reason for the increased incidence of disorders associated with inappropriate immune function. The thymus is a lymphoid and also an endocrine organ, and, accordingly, its development and functioning may be impaired by endocrine disruptors. The aim was to evaluate age-related thymus involution in mature rats exposed to the endocrine disruptor DDT during prenatal and postnatal ontogeny. Methodology included in vivo experiment on male Wistar rats exposed to low doses of DDT during prenatal and postnatal development and morphological assessment of thymic involution, including the immunohistochemical detection of proliferating thymocytes. The study was carried out at the early stage of involution. Results: DDT-exposed rats exhibited a normal anatomy, and the relative weight of the thymus was within the control ranges. Histological and immunohistochemical examinations revealed increased cellularity of the cortex and the medulla, higher content of lymphoblasts, and more intensive proliferation rate of thymocytes compared to the control. Evaluation of thymic epithelial cells revealed a higher rate of thymic corpuscles formation. Conclusion: The data obtained indicate that endocrine disrupter DDT disturbs postnatal development of the thymus. Low-dose exposure to DDT during ontogeny does not suppress growth rate but violates the developmental program of the thymus by slowing down the onset of age-related involution and maintaining high cell proliferation rate. It may result in excessive formation of thymus-dependent areas in peripheral lymphoid organs and altered immune response.
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