Cell death and cytokine production induced by cadmium in leukocytes of cord blood and peripheral blood of adults
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Department of Cell Biology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland
Department of Gynaecology, Lublin District Hospital, Lublin, Poland
Martyna Kandefer-Szerszeń   

J Pre Clin Clin Res. 2007;1(1):30–34
Cadmium has been shown to alter humoral and cell-mediated immune response in vivo and in vitro. The immune system of newborns is particularly vulnerable to the toxic effect of cadmium, but there is only limited knowledge concerning the influence of cadmium on cytokine production by the immune cells of newborns. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to compare the influence of cadmium on cell viability and cytokine production by cord blood cells and adult blood cells. The results of the study demonstrate that cord blood leukocytes were more sensitive than adult leukocytes to cadmium cytotoxicity, measured as the percent of cells undergoing apoptosis. Cord blood cells exhibited defects n PHA-and LPS-induced IL-2, IFN-γ and TNF-α production, compared with adult blood cells. Cadmium at 10 µM concentration enhanced IFN-γ production in cord blood cells and TNF-α production in the blood cells of adults; however, it decreased the production of IFN-α and IL-10 in both types of cells. The data show that cadmium-induced apoptosis of cord blood leukocytes, as well as enhanced production of pro-inflammatory IFN- γ, may result in deeper alterations in the immune cell functions of newborns after exposure to cadmium, than in adults.
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