ETHG

Because the multidose vials of meningococcal and influenza vaccines currently available for pediatric use contain 25 [micro]g EtHg per 0.5 mL dose (Fiore et al.

These effects were found only at doses of 200-3,000 [micro]g EtHg/kg/BW, which is 15-500 times the level of EtHg found in pediatric vaccines.

In the present study, animals in the TCV group demonstrated increased response latencies in learning-set testing compared with the control group but this was not found in animals in the 1990s Primate group, which received the same EtHg exposure.

In the present study we examined neurobehavioral effects of TCVs using both an accelerated vaccine primate schedule and the recommended pediatric schedule, neither of which appeared to affect neurobehavioral outcomes, thus suggesting that the toxicokinetics of EtHg in infant primates is not a limiting factor when using an accelerated schedule of dosing.

To study how THI and EtHg influence [Ca.sup.2+]-dependent DC functions, we generated and tested murine DCs under normoxia (5% [O.sub.2] vol/vol) and omitted 2-mercaptoethanol (2-Me) from the culture medium.

We next generated viability-dose survival curves for DCs exposed to THI and its metabolites EtHg (from EtHgCl) and TSA [chemical structures are shown in Supplemental Material, Figure 1B (available online at http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/8881/suppl.pdf)].

We generated DCs under tightly regulated [O.sub.2] and without 2-Me to provide a more physiologic baseline to study the mechanism of redox active environmental triggers such as THI and EtHg in regulating DC activation in vitro.

Given the importance of DCs as a front line in regulating lymphocyte-mediated immunity and tolerance, altering DC functions by forms of EtHg should be considered when assessing contributions to altered immune function.