Environmental Health and Toxicology: Immunomodulation Promoted by Endocrine-Disrupting Chemical Tributyltin

Tributyltin (TBT) is an environmental contaminant present on all continents, including Antarctica, with a potent biocidal action. Its use began to be intensified during the 1960s. It was effectively banned in 2003 but remains in the environment to this day due to several factors that increase its half-life and its misuse despite the bans. In addition to the endocrine-disrupting effect of TBT, which may lead to imposex induction in some invertebrate species, there are several studies that demonstrate that TBT also has an immunotoxic effect. The immunotoxic effects that have been observed experimentally in vertebrates using in vitro and in vivo models involve different mechanisms; mainly, there are alterations in the expression and/or secretion of cytokines. In this review, we summarize and update the literature on the impacts of TBT on the immune system, and we discuss issues that still need to be explored to fill the knowledge gaps regarding the impact of this endocrine-disrupting chemical on immune system homeostasis.

Automated summary

TBT is an environmental contaminant with potent biocidal action that can be found on all continents, including Antarctica. Despite being effectively banned in 2003, it still remains in the environment due to its long half-life and misuse. TBT not only has endocrine-disrupting effects but also has immunotoxic effects, which have been observed in both in vitro and in vivo studies. This review summarizes the literature on the impacts of TBT on the immune system and discusses the gaps in knowledge that still need to be explored.