Environment/Climate Change
Maternal antibodies to fetal brain antigens in relation to a mixture of five classes of environmental chemicals Kimberly* Kimberly Berger Kristen Michelle Lauren Heather Paul Judy Lisa
Maternal antibodies (MA) pass through the placenta to protect the immunologically naive neonate, and in some cases, can be reactive to fetal tissue. Previous work supports impacts of MA to fetal brain proteins on child neurodevelopment, but limited work has examined MA in relation to environmental pollutants, which have also shown associations with adverse neurodevelopment. We analyzed data from 411 general population controls from an Autism Spectrum Disorder case-control study of Californian children born in 2000-2003. Second trimester serum was assayed for environmental chemicals: eleven polychlorinated biphenyls, two organochlorine pesticides, six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and six brominated flame retardants were detected in at least 60% of specimens. Particulate matter 10 and 2.5 microns in diameter, nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide, and ozone data for 30 days preceding specimen collection were downloaded from monitoring stations near maternal addresses. MA reactivity to eight highly expressed fetal brain antigens (CRMP1, CRMP2, GDA, NSE, LDHA, LDHB, STIP1, and YBOX) was measured by ELISA. Bayesian Hierarchical Modeling (BHM) and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) analyses estimated overall mixture and individual chemical associations with MA accounting for co-exposures. In BHM models, each doubling of ozone concentrations was associated with an increase in MA reactivity to CRMP2, GDA, LDHB, NSE, and STIP1. Ozone (odds ratio: 6.72, 95% CI: 1.56, 30.05) and NO (odds ratio: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.15, 2.92) were associated with the highest quartile of the combination CRMP1 & CRMP2, which are crucial in neurodevelopment and may co-generate. BKMR models showed higher quantiles of combined exposures were associated with increased MA reactivity to STIP1 and CRMP2. Our results suggest environmental chemicals may increase maternal immune reactivity to fetal brain antigens, which may have longer-term neurodevelopmental impacts.