Antibody response to booster vaccination with tetanus and diphtheria in adults exposed to perfluorinated alkylates.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Prospective observational cohort follow-up study tracking antibody response kinetics across exposure levels.
PubMed 26181512 · doi:10.3109/1547691X.2015.1067259
What was done
Twelve healthy adult volunteers were recruited for an exploratory prospective study. Baseline serum concentrations of perfluorinated alkylate substances (PFASs) were measured, and specific diphtheria and tetanus antibody responses were followed prospectively for 30 days after booster vaccination.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values, effect sizes, or confidence intervals. Specific antibody concentrations increased from Day 4 to Day 10 post-booster and then plateaued. Serum PFAS concentrations showed significant negative associations with the rate of antibody response increase (particularly for longer-chain PFASs), which remained significant after adjustment for age and sex.
Why it matters
The study adds early kinetic observations suggesting that background PFAS exposure in adults may dampen the rate of recall antibody production following booster immunization.
Limits
The sample size is extremely small (n = 12), precluding robust multivariate control. The abstract does not provide exact effect estimates, p-values, or baseline exposure ranges. Clinical relevance and non-humoral immune markers were not evaluated.
Cited by
- supports PFAS chemicals interfere with human antibody responses to vaccinations.