Estrogenic endocrine disruptors and autoimmune disease

Impact of endocrine disruptors on peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro: role of gender

Humans can be exposed to endocrine disruptors (EDs) in numerous ways. EDs can interfere with endogenous hormones at different levels, resulting in numerous adverse human health outcomes, including immunotoxicity. In this regard, this study aimed to investigate in vitro the possible effects of EDs on immune cells and possible gender differences. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy humans, both males and females, were exposed to 6 different EDs, namely atrazine (herbicide), cypermethrin (insecticide), diethyl phthalate (plasticizer), 17α-ethynylestradiol (contraceptive drug), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (persistent organic pollutant), and vinclozolin (fungicide). We evaluated the effect of EDs on RACK1 (receptor for activated C kinase 1) expression, considering it as a bridge between the endocrine and the immune system, and putatively used as screening tool of immunotoxic effects of EDs. The exposure to EDs resulted at different extent in alteration in RACK1 expression, pro-inflammatory activity, natural killer lytic ability, and lymphocyte differentiation, with sex-related differences. In particular, diethyl phthalate and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid resulted the most active EDs tested, with gender differences in terms of effects and magnitude. The results from our study evidenced the ability of EDs to directly affect immune cells.

Immune and Nervous Systems Interaction in Endocrine Disruptors Toxicity: The Case of Atrazine

Endocrine disruptors (ED) are natural and anthropogenic chemicals that can interfere with hormonal systems at different levels. As such, ED-induced alterations in hormone functions have been implicated in many diseases and pathological conditions, including adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, cardiovascular, and immunological effects in mammals. The fact that ED may compete with several endogenous hormones for multiple receptors and pathways is not always fully considered. This results in a complex response that depends on the cellular context in terms of receptors and interacting proteins and, thus, may differ between tissues and circumstances. Microglia, neurons, and other immune cells are potential targets and still underappreciated actors in endocrine disruption. Due to the large scale of this topic, this review is not intended to provide a comprehensive review nor a systematic review of chemicals identified as endocrine disruptors. It focuses on the immune-neuro-endocrine network in ED toxicity and research gaps, using atrazine as an example to highlight this complexity and the interrelationship between the immune, endocrine, and nervous systems, and ED.

Childhood Residential and Agricultural Pesticide Exposures in Relation to Adult-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis in Women

Farming and pesticide exposure may influence risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA); the role of early-life pesticide exposure is unknown. The Sister Study includes a US national cohort of women aged 35-74 years (enrolled 2004-2009); we examined childhood pesticide exposure in women in this cohort with adult-onset RA. Cases (n = 424) were compared with 48,919 noncases. Data included pesticide use at the longest childhood residence through age 14 years, farm residence of at least 12 months with agricultural pesticide exposure through age 18 years, and maternal farm experience. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were adjusted for age, race or ethnicity, education, smoking, and childhood socioeconomic factors. Cases with RA reported more frequent and direct (personal) residential pesticide use in childhood (for infrequent/indirect pesticide use, odds ratio (OR) = 1.1; for frequent/direct use, OR = 1.8; P for trend = 0.013). Compared with women without residential farm history, odds of having RA increased for those reporting a childhood-only farm residence with personal exposure to pesticides used on crops (OR = 1.8, 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 2.9) or livestock (OR = 2.0, 95% confidence interval: 1.2, 3.3). Our findings suggest adult-onset RA may be related to childhood exposure to residential and agricultural pesticides, and support further investigations of lifetime pesticide use in RA.