Immune changes in animal breeders: a pilot study conducted in northern Italy
Journal Title: Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine - Year 2012, Vol 19, Issue 2
Abstract
Objective: Farming is associated with exposure to a wide variety of risk factors including organic dusts, endotoxins, allergens and other chemicals. The ability of some of these agents to interact with the immune system is demonstrated in the presented study which was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between pig and cow breeding, and the immune system early changes. Particular attention is paid to selected serum cytokines. Methods: Sixty four animal breeders (36 cattle and 28 pig breeders) were selected as the exposed group, and 32 rural workers not engaged in animal breeding were utilised as the controls. Personal data were collected through a questionnaire, and selected serum parameters measured, including cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IFNγ and TNFα, immunoglobulins and proteins, and total and differential white blood cell counts. Results: The study stresses the significant increase of TNF-α, IL-8, and IL-10 in animal breeders, with the highest values in pig breeders, and a slight but statistically significant increase in albumin and total serum proteins.Conclusions: The findings of the presented study suggest a condition of immune system activation in animal breeders, with the highest levels observed in pig breeders. These changes may be attributable to exposure to organic dusts, endotoxins, or to the different biological agents present in the rural environment. The prognostic significance of these findings, however, remains unclear, but the observed changes might be indicative of a risk of developing respiratory toxic and allergic diseases, which need to be further investigated.
Authors and Affiliations
Ramin Tabibi, Emanuela Corsini, Gabri Brambilla, Luigi Bonizzi, Gianlodovico Melzi d’Eril, Giulia Rabozzi, Maryam Sokooti, Luisa Romanò, Chiara Somaruga, Francesca Vellere, Alessandro Zanetti, Claudio Colosio
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP80453
- DOI -
- Views 145
- Downloads 0
Survey of [i]Toxoplasma gondii [/i]antibodies in meat juice of wild boar ([i]Sus scrofa[/i]) in several districts of the Czech Republic
Introduction and objective. The aims of the study were: 1) to detect antibodies against T[i]oxoplasma gondii[/i] from wild boar meat; 1) establish seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in the wild boar population; 3) establish...
Occurrence of antibodies to Anaplasma phagocytophilum in patients with suspected tick-borne encephalitis
[b][/b]Introduction and objectives. Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) is an emerging tick-borne infectious disease caused by [i]Anaplasma phagocytophilum[/i]. In Europe, the first serological evidence of HGA was de...
Family Health Nursing – A European Perspective
Florence Nightingale, while formulating her concept of nursing mentioned, among nurses’ tasks, the popularization of personal hygiene and hygiene of surroundings in workers’ environments, as well as teaching baby care to...
Epidemiological studies in Poland on effect of physical activity of pregnant women on the health of offspring and future generations – adaptation of the hypothesis Development Origin of Health and Diseases
It is recognized that the levels of women's physical activity during pregnancy has a direct bearing on the method of delivery and health of the newborn. The main objective of the study was investigation of th...
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for a patient with a nonfluent/ agrammatic variant of PPA in the mutism stage
[b]Introduction. [/b]The paper presents an example of the successful administration of the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system. Such an approach is of particular significance in cases of patients with...