A study on whether a chemical used to produce Teflon affects human health shows the chemical may be linked to changes in the immune system.

The findings are the latest to be issued by a three-member science panel.

The court-appointed panel is looking at blood samples and health histories of some 70,000 Mid-Ohio Valley residents who live near DuPont's Washington Works chemical plant near Parkersburg.

The studies are part of a lawsuit settlement with DuPont.

In Thursday's court filing, the panel said there appears to be a link between the chemical C8 and the level of disease-fighting antibodies in the blood.

However, the panel noted additional research would be needed to determine if high levels of C8 caused the changes.