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Table 28 Studies on the immunotoxicity of PFOS and PFOA

From: Toxicology of perfluorinated compounds

Substance

Experimental animal

Dosage and length of exposure

Effects/dosage

Serum concentration according to dosage

Reference

PFOS

Mouse (C57BL/6)

5, 20, and 40 mg/kg BW/day; 7 days

Food intake, body weight ↓; liver mass, serum corticosterone concentration ↑; and from 20 mg/kg: lymphatic cells↓, depression of natural killer cell activity, lymphocyte proliferation, and antibody forming plasma cells

110.5 to 338 mg/L

Zheng et al. [296]

 

Male mouse (C57BL/6)

8.33, 83.3, 416, 833, and 2, 083 μg/kg BW/day; 60 days

From 83.3 μg/kg BW/day: liver mass ↑, altered lymphocyte proliferation, and activity of natural killer cells: depression of antibody forming plasma cells

NOAEL: 8.33 μg/kg BW/day, LOAEL: 83.3 μg/kg BW/day

0.674 ± 0.166 mg/L and 7.132 ± 1.039 mg/La

Dong et al. [297]

 

Mouse (B6C3F1)

0.166, 1.66, 3.31, 16.6, 33.1, and 166 μg/kg BW/day; 28 days

At the three highest dosages: activity of the natural killer cells ↑ in male mice, altered T cells, and IgM ↓

LOAEL: 1.66 and 16.6 μg/kg BW/day for male or female animals, respectively

0.092 ± 0.022 mg/kgb and 0.67 ± 0.11 mg/kg, respectively

Peden-Adams et al. [210]

 

Female mouse (B6C3F1)

0.005 and 0.025 mg/kg BW/day

Body weight, immune resistance, and survival rate with influenza A virus infection ↓

2.1 ± 0.3 mg/L (control), 189 ± 14 mg/L, and 670 ± 47 mg/L

Guruge et al. [214]

 

Male mouse (C57BL/6)

0.001% to 1% in feed; 10 days

At > 0.02%: clinical effects; at 0.02%: weight ↓, hepatomegaly, atrophy of the thymus, spleen, and fat tissue, thymus and spleen cells ↓ by 84% and 43%

50.8 ± 2.5 mg/L to 340 ± 16 mg/L

Qazi et al. [213]

 

Mouse (B6C3F1)

7 mg/kg; 28 days

Weight gain ↓, liver mass ↑, and no detrimental effects on the adaptive immune system

11 mg/L

Qazi et al., [298]

 

Rat

0.14 to 7.58 mg/kg BW/day; 28 days

Body weight ↓, liver weight ↑, lymphocyte apoptosis in the thymus ↑, T helper cells ↑, and B cells ↓

0.4 to 30 mg/kg male and 1 to 43 mg/kg female rats

Lefebvre et al. [299]

PFOS or PFOA

Male mouse (C57BL/6)

0.02% in feed; 10 days

Total number of white blood cells ↓, lymphocyte number ↓, neutrophilic granulocytes ↓ (only with PFOA), macrophage number in the bone marrow ↓ (but not in the spleen or abdominal cavity), and tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 6 production ↑ mildly (ex vivo)

340 ± 16 mg/L (PFOS) and 152 ± 8.6 mg/L (PFOA)

Qazi et al. [212]

PFOA

Male mouse (C57B1/6)

0.02% in feed; 7 to 10 days

Body weight ↓, liver mass ↑, spleen and thymus mass ↓, and peroxisome proliferation ↑

n.r.

Yang et al. [206]

 

Male mouse (C57BL/6)

0.02% in feed; 10 days

Immunosuppressive: plaque formation ↓, IgM- and IgG serum concentrations ↓, and proliferation of spleen ↓

n.r.

Yang et al. [208]

 

Mouse

3.73, 7.5, 15, and 30 mg/kg BW/day; 10 days

T-cell dependent antibody reaction ↓ and no consequences of a stress-induced corticosterone production

n.r.

DeWitt et al. [216]

 

Mouse

30 mg/kg BW/day; 10 to 15 days

IgM synthesis ↓

74 mg/Lc at 3.75 mg/kg BW/day

DeWitt et al. [300]

  1. n.r., Not reported; upward arrow, increase; downward arrow, decrease; a50 times higher than that of a human work-related exposure; b14 times lower than that of an exposed worker; c150 times higher than that of a heavy work exposure or environmentally contaminated human.