Immune Status of Workers with Professional Risk of Being Affected by Chrysotile Asbestos in Kazakhstan

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study the particularities of the immune status of workers in the field of chrysotile asbestos production, depending on their work experience and professional risk of being affected by chrysotile dust. The research covered 125 men, who were workers at the only enterprise dealing with the extraction and beneficiation of chrysotile ores in Kazakhstan. Indicants of cell immunity were detected by flow cytometry; IgA, IgM, and IgG were detected by a multiplex immunological assay. It was found that, among workers impacted by chrysotile asbestos for more than 15 years, compared with individuals who were not impacted by asbestos dust, the level of CD3+ T-cells was decreased (t = −8.76, p < 0.001), as well as the number of CD4+ T-cells (U = 1246.0, p < 0.001). Moreover, CD8+ T-cells increased (t = 5.308, p = 0.001), and neutrophil phagocytic activity also increased, by 1.2 times (U = 305.5, p < 0.001). It was found that working under the condition of professional contact with chrysotile asbestos dust modifies the indicants of humoral immunity, IgA, IgM, and IgG, to a lesser extent than those of cellular immunity.