Effect of Lead on Immune Status of Occupationally Exposed Workers
Safia Bechir Ahmed and Khadiga Salah Ibrahim
Department of Industrial Medicine and Occupational Health, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt
Corresponding author: Khadiga Salah Ibrahim
Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine
National Research Center
Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
Fax number: 00202-3370931
CEJOEM 2004, Vol.10. No.4.: 295–303
Key words:
Lead exposure, humoral immunity, C3, C4 complement components, C-reactive protein, chemotaxis
Abstract:
The effects of lead exposure on the human immune system have not been well-documented. Although no
conclusive epidemiological studies conducted on workers occupationally exposed to lead have been published
yet lead-induced immunotoxic abnormalities have been suggested to occur. This study evaluated the immune
competence in 39 current lead workers exposed for 16.16 ± 6.1 yr and in 30 non-exposed workers.
The mean current blood lead concentration was 42.92 ± 4.89 µg/dl in the exposed workers
and 19.5 ± 2.1 µg/dl in the control group. In the exposed group, the concentrations of
serum immunoglobulins IgG, IgM, and C3, C4 complement component proteins, at the same time the chemotaxis
of neutrophils was also significantly depressed. In the present study it was found that the percentage of
lead-exposed workers of positive C-reactive protein (CRP) was significantly higher compared to the controls.
However, no correlation was found between the duration of exposure and the altered immune parameters. In
conclusion, the immune system can be a target for lead toxicity.
Received: 30 November 2004
Accepted: 3 March 2005
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