The neutrophil function and infectious diseases in workers occupationally exposed to organochloride insecticides

Abstract

The function of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) was examined in 33 workers with occupational exposure to organochloride insecticides. A deep impairment of chemotaxis, adhesion, phagocytosis and nitroblue tetrazolium-dye reduction was found. A simultaneous increase of random migration and stimulated migration was observed. Perhaps the increase of the surface migration of leucocytes can partially compensate for the decrease of chemotaxis. However, no correlation between chemotaxis and spontaneous or stimulated migration could be demonstrated. The failure of PMN incubation in autologous serum to affect leucocyte migration and the fact that chemo-attractant generated from the plasma of both workers and controls show similar activity both suggest that the damaged PMN chemotaxis is not serum but cell-dependent. The simultaneous increase of infectious disease, especially of the upper respiratory tract, was found in the group of workers chronically exposed to organochloride insecticides. This kind of infection in the examined group of workers depends mainly on the chronic exposure to insecticides and only partially on the observed impairment of leucocyte function. A possible cause for the frequency of infections in workers is discussed.

Spotlight on the role of hormonal factors in the emergence of autoreactive B-lymphocytes

“…In vitro, genistein blocks the progression of internalized highaffinity receptor for immunoglobulin G (which plays a central role in the clearance of immuncomplexes) to lysosomes [253]. Chronic exposure to the insecticide DDT has been associated with impairment of the upper respiratory tract immunity [254].…”

Effect of HCH Contamination of Diet on the Growth Performance and Immune and Antioxidant Ability in Growing/Finishing Pigs

“…Since the growth of pigs at 0.4 mg/kg concentration had a similar trend with thymus weight and the pigs were slaughtered at weight 86.22 ± 6.28 kg (near sexual maturity), we speculate that increased hormone (data not presented) contributed to the effect of low-concentration HCH on the thymus. Some researches report increase of serum humoral immunoglobulin in workers in contact with HCH (Hermanowicz et al, 1982;Kashiap, 1986;Nigam et al, 1993;Nigam and Karnik, 1994). In our experiment, total serum IgM and IgG were markedly elevated for pigs fed HCH, and the concentration of HCH did not affect proliferation of T-lymphocytes in pigs.…”

Non-Coplanar PCB-Mediated Modulation of Human Leukocyte Phagocytosis: A New Mechanism for Immunotoxicity

“…Chlordane and toxaphene (but not dieldrin) were shown to enhance phagocytosis of opsonized sheep red blood cells by human neutrophils . Humans occupationally exposed to dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) showed a marked impairment of PMN phagocytosis (Hermanowicz et al, 1982). Taken together, these data suggest the possibility that different classes of OCs might exert their adverse effects through different mechanisms.…”

“…OC-induced immunotoxicity has been well documented in laboratory animals (Andersson et al, 1991;Tryphonas et al, 1989;Thomas & Hinsdill, 1978;Loose, et al, 1977;Koller, 1977) and wildlife (De Guise et al, 1998) and has been studied in human populations upon occupational (Hermanowicz et al, 1982), accidental (Nagayama et al, 2001;Lu & Wu, 1985) and environmental exposure (Dewailly et al, 2000;Weisglas-Kuperus et al, 1995). Associations between exposure and infectious diseases have been documented, especially in children whose mothers were exposed to high levels of PCBs and dioxin (Dewailly et al, 2000;Nakanishi et al, 1985;Tryphonas, 1995), suggesting exposure may disrupt the developing immune system of children.…”