High consumption of fatty fish from the Baltic Sea is associated with changes in human lymphocyte subset levels

• Published in: Toxicology letters Vol. 77; no. 1; pp. 335 - 342
• Main Authors: Hagmar, Lars, Hallberg, Torgny, Leja, Marcis, Nilsson, Anita, Schütz, Andrejs
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.05.1995; Amsterdam Elsevier Science
• Subjects: [formula omitted] ratio; Adult; Aged; Alcohol Drinking - adverse effects; Animals; B-lymphocytes; B-Lymphocytes - drug effects; BALTIC SEA; Biological and medical sciences; CD4-CD8 Ratio - drug effects; CONSOMMATION ALIMENTAIRE; CONSUMO DE ALIMENTOS; CONTENIDO DE LIPIDOS; Dietary Fats - adverse effects; DIOXINAS; DIOXINE; DIOXINS; Environmental pollutants toxicology; FISH; Fishes; FOOD CONSUMPTION; General aspects; Humans; Killer Cells, Natural - drug effects; LINFOCITOS; LIPID CONTENT; LYMPHOCYTE; Lymphocyte Subsets - drug effects; Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; LYMPHOCYTES; MAR BALTICO; Medical sciences; MER BALTIQUE; Methylmercury Compounds - blood; Methylmercury Compounds - toxicity; Middle Aged; Natural killer cells; PCBs; PESCADO; POISSON (ALIMENT); SELENIO; SELENIUM; Selenium - blood; Selenium - pharmacology; Smoking - adverse effects; SUBSTANCE TOXIQUE; SUSTANCIAS TOXICAS; TENEUR EN LIPIDES; TOXIC SUBSTANCES; Toxicology; Sweden; Europe; Baltic Sea; PCBs; B-lymphocytes; CD4+ CD8+ ratio; Dioxins; Fish; Selenium; Natural killer cells; Human; Immunopathology; Edible fish; Toxicity; B-Lymphocyte; Polychlorobiphenyl; Epidemiology; Contamination; Natural killer cell; Marine environment; Water pollution; Food
• ISSN: 0378-4274; 1879-3169
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-4274(95)03315-7

Fatty fish from the Baltic Sea accumulate immunotoxic persistent organochlorine compounds. In a previous study we found inverse correlations between such fish consumption and natural killer (NK) cell levels in a Swedish population. The present study concerns 68 Latvian subjects with high, low or intermediate fish consumption. High fish consumption correlated positively with B cell levels and CD4+/CD8+ ratios, but negatively with levels of cytotoxic (CD8+) T cells. Furthermore, NK cell levels correlated inversely with plasma selenium, one of several strong correlates with fish intake. A high fish diet includes a set of possible immunomodulating agents. It is presently not possible to pinpoint the cause for the observed subset deviations or to establish their possible biological importance.