Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana.
Mediators Inflamm. 2022 Jun 27;2022:8245717. doi: 10.1155/2022/8245717. eCollection 2022.
Occupational exposure to wood dust particles has long been reported of its associated varying degrees of negative health effects due to different extractive chemicals present in the various timber species. However, tropical hardwood is also reported to have higher levels of extractive chemicals of antihistamine, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. In Ghana, woodworkers have for years been exposed to wood dust from mixed tropical hardwood species, with little or no protective equipment such as nose masks, yet with less significant respiratory conditions. This study seeks to investigate the serum cytokine profile in tropical hardwood workers in Kumasi to provide a better understanding of the immunoregulatory pattern activated in the woodworkers.
The study was carried out among woodworkers, teachers, and security men located in Kumasi. A cross-sectional sampling of adult male workers was selected to participate in the study (86 woodworkers and 89 nonwoodworkers). Participants donated blood collected by venepuncture into EDTA tubes and spun to separate serum for cytokine assay. Cytokines including IFN-gamma, IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, and IL-17 were assayed using the Human Premixed Multianalyte Kit (R&D System, Inc., Minneapolis, USA) following the manufacturer's procedure. The cytokine levels were quantified using the Luminex∗200 analyser.
The mean concentration levels for the various cytokines were significantly different ( < 0.05) between woodworkers and nonwoodworkers except IL-2. There were significantly increased levels of Th1 and Th2 cytokines expressed in the woodworkers more than the nonwoodworkers.
The results from this study reveal that exposed woodworkers of mixed tropical hardwood species show a high level of Th1 and Th2 cytokines in their serum than nonwoodworkers.
由于各种木材品种中存在不同的萃取化学物质，职业性接触木尘颗粒长期以来一直与其相关的不同程度的负面健康影响有关。然而，热带硬木也被报道具有更高水平的具有抗组胺、抗氧化和抗炎特性的萃取化学物质。在加纳，多年来，木工一直接触混合热带硬木的木尘，几乎没有或没有任何防护设备，如鼻罩，但呼吸道疾病的发生率却较低。本研究旨在调查库马西的热带硬木工人的血清细胞因子谱，以更好地了解在木工中激活的免疫调节模式。
该研究在库马西的木工、教师和保安中进行。选择成年男性工人进行横断面抽样，以参与研究（86 名木工和 89 名非木工）。参与者通过静脉穿刺采集血液到 EDTA 管中，并旋转以分离血清进行细胞因子测定。采用人预混多分析试剂盒（R&D 系统公司，明尼苏达州，美国），按照制造商的程序测定包括 IFN-γ、IL-1、IL-2、IL-4、IL-6、IL-10、IL-12、IL-13 和 IL-17 在内的细胞因子。使用 Luminex∗200 分析仪定量细胞因子水平。
除 IL-2 外，木工和非木工之间各种细胞因子的平均浓度水平差异有统计学意义（<0.05）。木工的 Th1 和 Th2 细胞因子表达水平明显高于非木工。
本研究结果表明，暴露于混合热带硬木物种的木工工人血清中 Th1 和 Th2 细胞因子水平明显高于非木工工人。
