Cadmium immunotoxicity

The lack of epidemiological studies evaluating the effects of cadmium on the immune system make it difficult to assess its effects in humans. Reports of cadmium immunotoxicity in rodents after long-term exposure would argue for the need for human clinical studies (for reviews, see Roller 1980 Descotes 1992). Mice chronically exposed to cadmium exhibit an immunosuppressive effect on the humoral immune response, i.e., a decreased antibody response (Roller et al. 1975) however, conflicting results demonstrate an elevated antibody response or no response. An immunosuppressive effect of cadmium on cell-mediated immunity, i.e., a decrease in delayed-type hypersensitivity, has also been reported in mice (Muller et al. 1979). Cadmium has been shown to decrease phagocytosis in peritoneal macro-... 

Sanchez-Dardon, J., I. Voccia, A. Hontela, P. Anderson, P. Brousseau, B. Blakely, H. Boermans and M. Fournier. Immunotoxicity of cadmium, zinc and mercury after in vivo exposure, alone or in mixture in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Dev. Comp. Immunol. 21 133 1997. 

Zelikoff, J.T., D. Bowser, K.S. Squibb and K. Frenkel. Immunotoxicity of low level cadmium exposure in fish an alternative animal model for immunotoxicological studies. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health 45 235-248, 1995. 

Immunosuppressant exposure also impacts the development of the immune system. Several studies have shown this effect [12, 13, 18] including one which examined TCDD, described in the study as a notorious innnunotoxicant [12]. Other chemicals that cause developmental immunotoxicity include PCBs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chlordane, DDT, HCB, methylmercury, lead, and cadmium [13]. 

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