El-Sayed Laila H, Ghoneim Hossam M, El-Sayed Mona H, Deimian Soheir R, Adam Abdel Nasser I, Abou Rawash Salwa N, Abou Rawash Nayer M, Ursos Paul
Departments of Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria, Egypt.
Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2003 Aug;25(3):473-90. doi: 10.1081/iph-120024514.
In the present work we studied: (a) biochemical changes; (b) serum immunoglobulins (IGs); and (c) mitogenecity of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in workers directly exposed to high concentrations of pollutants in several sectors of a major copper company in Alexandria. These sectors included the aluminum utensils refining of copper semicontinuous aluminum casting, brass foundries, and steel furnaces. Toxicants in these sectors included aluminum, hexachloroethan, silica, cadmium, copper, mercury, lead, abestos, nickels, zinc, silver, carbon iron, and sulfate present in high concentrations in the sectors where workers are directly exposed. Administrative personnel (indirectly exposed) were included as positive controls; negative controls were people living in areas of Alexandria where the concentrations of these toxicants are extremely low. All personnel of the aluminum utensils area showed reduction in serum levels of IgG, IgA, and IgM assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) while workers directly exposed in the other sectors showed elevated Igs. Mitogenic activity in cultured PBL assayed by 3H-thymidine uptake was impaired in all plant personnel. However, experimentals showed increases in the interleukins IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), tumour necrosis factor-alpha and-beta (TNF-alpha and beta) assayed by ELISA. Changes were directly related to duration of exposure. Some workers showed autoimmune symptoms such as arthritis and spondylitis. Allergic manifestations were also recorded. Thus, abnormalities were greatest in directly exposed workers, while other plant personnel showed some form of toxicity in the parameters studied. Clinical significance of the immunologic abnormalities seen is under further study.
在本研究中，我们对亚历山大一家大型铜业公司多个部门中直接暴露于高浓度污染物的工人进行了以下研究：(a)生化变化；(b)血清免疫球蛋白(IGs)；以及(c)外周血淋巴细胞(PBL)的促有丝分裂活性。这些部门包括铜的铝制器具精炼、半连续铝铸造、黄铜铸造厂和炼钢炉。这些部门中的有毒物质包括铝、六氯乙烷、二氧化硅、镉、铜、汞、铅、石棉、镍、锌、银、碳铁和硫酸盐，在工人直接暴露的部门中浓度很高。行政人员(间接暴露)作为阳性对照；阴性对照是居住在亚历山大市这些有毒物质浓度极低地区的人。通过酶联免疫吸附测定(ELISA)检测，铝制器具部门的所有人员血清IgG、IgA和IgM水平均降低，而其他部门直接暴露的工人Ig水平升高。通过3H-胸腺嘧啶核苷摄取测定的培养PBL中的促有丝分裂活性在所有工厂人员中均受损。然而，通过ELISA检测，实验人员的白细胞介素IL-2、IL-4、IL-6、干扰素-γ(IFN-γ)、肿瘤坏死因子-α和-β(TNF-α和β)有所增加。这些变化与暴露持续时间直接相关。一些工人出现了自身免疫症状，如关节炎和脊柱炎。还记录到了过敏表现。因此，直接暴露的工人异常情况最严重，而其他工厂人员在所研究的参数中也表现出某种形式的毒性。所观察到的免疫异常的临床意义正在进一步研究中。
