Abstract

THE CYTOLOGICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTANTS IN OUTDOOR TRAFFIC POLICEMEN IN WHITE NILE STATE, SUDAN. 2022

*Kamal Eldin A. Almukarram, Jumaa Abuajila Salem Salama, Ehsan Musa Mohammed, Salah E. I. and Mohammed O. Mussa

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Abstract

Background: Most of people are not caring regarding air pollution issues. Recently and due to acceleration of development in most of world countries especially the developed ones. The surrounding environment and pollutants consequently affected human health. The awareness, attitudes and practices of traffic policemen regarding air pollution due to motor vehicle emissions is still very poor. Aim: this study aims to evaluate the cytological changes in the sputum, acute phase C- reactive protein and serum IgE among policemen traffic police officers and correlate this parameter and duration of outdoor working beside the levels of the same parameters among the indoor duties policemen. Material and methods: the study is cross sectional study with sample of 100 traffic police officers, according to their seniority, years of employment and work experience, from the target population of traffic police working in major and minor roads. The sample divided into fifty officers outdoor as cases and the other fifty are indoor duties policemen as control. Results: The study found that majority of the outdoor officers had significant cytological changes such as (Atopia, metaplasia, dysplasia, hyperplasia and inflammatory cells infiltration) as well as CRP and IgE elevation, compared to the indoor ones. Conclusion: The exposure to air pollution by traffic policemen increases the risk of sputum cytological changes, which may develop to precancerous and cancerous changes. Also the deeper effect of the air pollutants can involve in the inflammatory process activation represented by high level of C – reactive protein manifested as recurrent chest infections besides accelerating the allergic reaction that can be monitored by screening the level of immumoglobulin E (IgE).

Keywords: Sputum cytological changes, CRP, IgE and motor vehicle pollution.