Air pollution linked to lower Covid vaccine response, reveals Study

People exposed to higher levels of air pollution before the pandemic had lower antibody responses to COVID19 vaccines according to a studyIn particular exposure to fine particulate matter PM25 nitrogen dioxide NO2 and black carbon was associated with about a 10 per cent decrease in IgM and IgG antibody responses in people without prior infection the researchers saidThe findings published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives provide further evidence on the adverse effects of air pollution on the immune systemAir pollution has been linked to adverse health outcomes including lung cancer cardiovascular and respiratory disease and diabetes said Manolis Kogevinas from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health ISGlobalAir pollutants have been shown to affect immune responses so in this study we wished to determine whether air pollution also affects antibody responses to COVID19 vaccines said KogevinasThe team analysed data from 927 participants aged 40 to 65 years who answered questionnaires and gave blood samples in the summer of 2020 and in the spring of 2021 All had received one or two doses of the main COVID19 vaccines administered in Spain made by AstraZeneca Pfizer or ModernaThe research team measured IgM IgG and IgA antibodies to five viral antigens three of them on the spike protein contained in the vaccine Exposure to PM25 black carbon NO2 and ozone O3 was estimated for each participant based on their address before the pandemicThe collaboration of all volunteers in the cohort with more than ten years of data has allowed us to reliably estimate the level of environmental exposure of all participants said Rafael de Cid coauthor of the studyAlso read India records 5335 new Covid19 cases highest in 195 daysThe results show that in uninfected individuals prepandemic exposure to PM25 NO2 and black carbon was associated with a 5 to 10 per cent reduction in vaccineinduced spike antibodiesThe decrease in antibodies was shown both for early IgM responses and late responses measured by IgG the researchers saidThe IgG response after the first dose peaked later in participants exposed to higher air pollution levels and lower IgG levels persisted for several months after vaccination Results were similar for the three vaccinesAir pollution can induce chronic inflammation which has been associated with a negative effect on vaccine efficacy said Carlota Dobano cosenior author of the study together with Cathryn TonneOur findings are consistent with evidence that persistent organic pollutants reduce vaccine responses in children Dobano added The fact that previous infections lead to higher vaccine responses could explain why the effect of pollutants was only observed in people without a prior infection the researchers saidHowever the role of longterm exposure to air pollution on hybrid immunity infection plus vaccination deserves further investigation they addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever