Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41014917›Full record

ArticleAquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands)2025

Impacts of PCBs on grey seal pup immunity and influenza A infection vary across biological scales.

Christina M McCosker, Milton Levin, Wendy B Puryear, Jonathan A Runstadler, Christopher Perkins, Ebru Unal, Kimberly T Murray, Kristina M Cammen

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Christina M McCoskerSchool of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA. Electronic address: christinamccosker@gmail.com.
Milton LevinDepartment of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
Wendy B PuryearCummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA.
Jonathan A RunstadlerCummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA.
Christopher PerkinsCenter for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
Ebru UnalMystic Aquarium, Mystic, CT, USA; Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, USA.
Kimberly T MurrayNOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, MA, USA.
Kristina M CammenSchool of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.

Funding

NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response: Universal Influenza Vaccine Research Activities75N93021C00014 · NIAID · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · PI GARCIA-SASTRE, ADOLFO · 2021 to 2025
$62.6M
NIAID NIH HHS 75N93021C00014NIAID NIH HHS HHSN266200700010CNIAID NIH HHS HHSN272201400008CNIH HHS 75N93021C00014NIH HHS HHSN272201400008C
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Disease outbreaks in marine species have increased, prompting concern regarding the health of coastal ecosystems. Environmental contaminants are hypothesized to contribute to disease outbreaks, as many contaminants have documented immunosuppressive effects in a variety of marine organisms. Of particular concern are marine mammals that have long life-spans, live in coastal waters, and have thick blubber, all of which leads to greater contaminant exposure and accumulation. In the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been detected in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), yet research on impacts of PCBs in this species is limited or yields contradictory results. We first validated the use of dried blood spot (DBS) cards to measure contaminants in wild grey seal pups using a paired analysis to whole blood samples (N = 30). Then, DBS was used to measure PCBs in pup blood (N = 127) and we assessed the impact of PCBs on gene expression (N = 23), cytokines (N = 87), and influenza A virus (IAV) infection status (N = 127). We found a significant correlation between the concentrations of PCBs detected by DBS and whole blood. PCBs were found to down-regulate adaptive immunity genes, but up-regulate innate immunity and defense response genes. Despite the apparent effects of PCBs at the molecular level, we observed no difference in cytokine profiles nor IAV infection status across pups with and without measurable PCBs. Our research highlights the intricacies of contaminant-induced effects on immune function and sheds light on how grey seals survive ongoing threats in their environment.

Indexed as

Influenza A virusOrthomyxoviridae InfectionsPolychlorinated BiphenylsSeals, EarlessWater Pollutants, ChemicalAnimalsCytokinesFemaleImmunity, InnateCytokinesPolychlorinated BiphenylsWater Pollutants, ChemicalCytokineGene expressionGray sealImmunotoxicologyInfluenzaPCB

Identifiers

PMID41014917
PMCPMC12709521

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.