Udah Donald C, Bakarey Adeleye S, Anetor Gloria O, Omabe Maxwell, Edem Victory F, Ademowo Olusegun G, Anetor John I
Department of Chemical Pathology, Laboratory for Toxicology and Micronutrient Metabolism, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
JSI Research & Training Institute Inc. (JSI), Abuja, Nigeria.
PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024 Jul 23;4(7):e0002841. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002841. eCollection 2024.
The growing exposure to occupational chemicals and the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are major global health issues. However, there is little data on the carcinogenic risk profile of HIV-infected individuals who have been occupationally exposed to chemical mixtures. This study therefore investigated the levels of cancer risk biomarkers in HIV-infected individuals exposed to occupational chemicals, exploring the relationship between apoptotic regulatory and oxidative response markers as a measure of cancer risk. Study participants (mean age 38.35±0.72 years) were divided into four groups according to their HIV status and occupational chemical exposure: 62 HIV-positive exposed (HPE), 66 HIV-positive unexposed (HPU), 60 HIV-negative exposed (HNE), and 60 HIV-negative unexposed (HNU). Serum p53, β-cell lymphoma-2 (bcl2), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured using standard methods. Clusters of differentiation 4 (CD4+) T-lymphocytes were enumerated using flow cytometry. Serum p53 and bcl2 levels in HPE (0.91±0.11ng/ml and 122.37±15.77ng/ml) were significantly lower than HNU (1.49±0.15ng/ml and 225.52±33.67ng/ml) (p < 0.05), respectively. Wildtype p53 and bcl2 were positively and significantly correlated with 8-OHdG (r = 0.35, p<0.001; r = 0.36, p<0.001) and SOD (r = 0.38, p<0.001; r = 0.39, p<0.001). After controlling for gender, age, BMI, and cigarette smoking, both HIV status and SOD activity were significantly associated with wildtype p53 and bcl2 (p < 0.05). Malondialdehyde was significantly higher in the HPE (0.72 ± 0.01 mg/ml) than in the HNE (0.68 ± 0.01 mg/ml) and HNU (0.67 ± 0.01 mg/ml) groups (p < 0.05). The HPE group showed significantly lower CD4 counts than the HNE and HNU groups. Individuals who are HIV-infected and occupationally exposed to chemicals have a constellation of depressed immunity, elevated oxidative stress, and loss of tumour suppressive functions, which together intensify cancer risk, providing valuable scientific and public health bases for preventive measures in this vulnerable population.
职业性接触化学物质的情况日益增多以及人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）感染的传播是全球主要的健康问题。然而，关于职业性接触化学混合物的HIV感染者的致癌风险概况的数据却很少。因此，本研究调查了职业性接触化学物质的HIV感染者体内癌症风险生物标志物的水平，探索凋亡调节标志物和氧化应激反应标志物之间的关系，以此作为癌症风险的衡量指标。研究参与者（平均年龄38.35±0.72岁）根据其HIV感染状况和职业性化学物质接触情况分为四组：62名HIV阳性且接触化学物质者（HPE）、66名HIV阳性未接触化学物质者（HPU）、60名HIV阴性且接触化学物质者（HNE）和60名HIV阴性未接触化学物质者（HNU）。采用标准方法测量血清p53、β细胞淋巴瘤-2（bcl-2）、8-羟基脱氧鸟苷（8-OHdG）、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和丙二醛（MDA）。使用流式细胞术对分化簇4（CD4+）T淋巴细胞进行计数。HPE组的血清p53和bcl-2水平（分别为0.91±0.11ng/ml和122.37±15.77ng/ml）显著低于HNU组（分别为1.49±0.15ng/ml和225.52±33.67ng/ml）（p<0.05）。野生型p53和bcl-2与8-OHdG（r = 0.35，p<0.001；r = 0.36，p<0.001）和SOD（r = 0.38，p<0.001；r = 0.39，p<0.001）呈显著正相关。在控制了性别、年龄、体重指数和吸烟因素后，HIV感染状况和SOD活性均与野生型p53和bcl-2显著相关（p<0.05）。HPE组的丙二醛水平（0.72±0.01mg/ml）显著高于HNE组（0.68±0.01mg/ml）和HNU组（0.67±0.01mg/ml）（p<0.05）。HPE组的CD4细胞计数显著低于HNE组和HNU组。HIV感染且职业性接触化学物质的个体存在免疫抑制、氧化应激升高和肿瘤抑制功能丧失等一系列情况，这些因素共同加剧了癌症风险，为针对这一脆弱人群采取预防措施提供了有价值的科学和公共卫生依据。
