# Arsenic and immune response to influenza vaccination in pregnant women and newborns

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $600,834

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT. There is a fundamental gap in understanding of whether arsenic, a known
developmental toxicant, alters maternal immune responses to vaccination and whether exposure to arsenic
during pregnancy impairs the transfer of maternal vaccine-induced antibody to the newborn. Moreover, factors
known to affect arsenic metabolism and toxicity outcomes, particularly micronutrients critical in one-carbon
metabolism, have not been evaluated in studies of arsenic immunotoxicity and vaccine-induced protection in
mothers and their newborns. Continued existence of this gap represents an important problem because, until it
is filled, optimal points for intervention to prevent arsenic-related immunotoxicity and morbidity during
pregnancy and early life will not be known. Our objective is to investigate how maternal arsenic exposure and
one-carbon metabolism micronutrient deficiencies alter maternal and newborn influenza antibody titer and
avidity, respiratory morbidity, and measures of systemic immune function following maternal influenza
vaccination. Our hypothesis is that maternal arsenic exposure and one-carbon metabolism micronutrient
deficiencies can alter maternal and newborn influenza antibody titer and avidity, respiratory morbidity, and
systemic immune function following influenza vaccination during pregnancy. The rationale for the proposed
research is that studying the effects of arsenic exposure on antibody response to vaccination and on immune
function could provide insight into mechanisms of human arsenic immunotoxicity and inform new vaccine
regimens (higher doses; booster immunizations) to restore protection in arsenic-exposed and malnutrition-
affected populations worldwide. Our hypothesis is informed by preliminary findings of associations between
maternal arsenic exposure, viral seroconversion, and measures of systemic immune activation in an
established pregnancy surveillance system in Bangladesh. Within a cohort of 400 pregnant women and their
newborns, we will test our hypothesis by pursuing three specific aims: 1) Establish whether maternal arsenic
exposure during pregnancy alters maternal and newborn influenza antibody titer and avidity following maternal
influenza vaccination; 2) Determine the association of arsenic exposure with respiratory morbidity in pregnant
women and their newborns and whether vaccine-specific and/or systemic immune function mediate this
association; and 3) Assess whether arsenic exposure and one-carbon metabolism micronutrient deficiencies
during pregnancy have a joint effect on vaccine-specific and/or systemic immune function and respiratory
illness in mothers and their newborns. The approach is innovative because it is designed to challenge and shift
current research paradigms on the human health consequences of arsenic immunotoxicity. Results from this
work will represent a significant advancement in understanding of the extent to which arsenic exposure and
one-carbon metabolism micronutrien...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10066262
- **Project number:** 5R01ES026973-05
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Christopher D Heaney
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $600,834
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-03-01 → 2023-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10066262

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10066262, Arsenic and immune response to influenza vaccination in pregnant women and newborns (5R01ES026973-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10066262. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*