Researchers report that compared with mice exposed to filtered air in utero, mice exposed to ultrafine particles (UFP) in utero failed to develop strong immune responses to house dust-mite allergens, and at four weeks old, had less bronchiole inflammation and fewer white blood cells in their bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; this immune suppression was more pronounced in a mouse strain sensitive to oxidative stress, indicating that maternal oxidative stress responses to UFP exposure may alter fetal immune development, and in utero UFP exposure may predispose neonates to respiratory infections.
Article #18-16103: "In utero ultrafine particulate matter exposure causes offspring pulmonary immunosuppression," by Kristal A. Rychlik et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Natalie M. Johnson, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX; tel: 979-436-9325; email: natalie.johnson@sph.tamhsc.edu
###
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences