title: Expression of NK cells activation receptors after occupational exposure to toxics: a preliminary study.
abstract: The expression of NK cells activation receptors was assessed by comparative study of two groups of women workers at a chemical reagents factory, located in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. Twenty of them were exposed to environmental toxics identified and quantified by gas chromatography, and 20 women unexposed to toxic substances. The expression of the surface markers CD56+ and CD3+, and of the activation receptors and co-receptors on NK cells was quantified by flow cytometry. To assess the cellular damage produced by chronic exposure to the toxics, the thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) generated and the total plasma antioxidizing capacity (TPAC) were quantified in both groups. The exposed women had been exposed at least to 12 volatile toxic compounds, benzene, benz(a)pyrene, ethylbenzene, dimethylbenz(a)anthracene, xylene, toluene, styrene, chloroform, formaldehyde, iodine, chlorine and fluorine. Significant difference between the two groups was in the proportion of CD3 lymphocytes, 72.7+/-10.3% in the unexposed women versus 66.8+/-7.9% in the exposed group (p<0.05). The density of expression of NKG2D and NKp30 receptors was significantly higher in the unexposed women compared to the exposed group: NKG2D were 31.3+/-6.3 and NKp30 were 9.5+/-5.2 in the unexposed women and 5.14+/-2.9 (p<0.01) and 4.6+/-1.9 (p<0.05), respectively in the exposed women. No statistically significant differences were found in the expression of NKp80, NKp46 and 2B4 receptors. The concentration of TBARS was lower in women from the unexposed group than the corresponding data from women of the exposed group. However, no significant difference was observed in TPAC between the two groups studied. The results of this preliminary study suggest that from the five activation receptors and co-receptors of NK cells evaluated (NKp30, NKp46, NKp80, NKG2D and 2B4), only NKp30 and NKG2D receptor expression was diminished in women exposed to toxics when compared with data from unexposed women. These results suggest that the occupational exposure to mixture of toxics is one of the important factors in the diminution of the NK cell receptor expression.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Immunology Laboratory, Western Biomedical Research Center of the Mexican Institute for Social Security, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. ruthdecelis@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Celis
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feria-Velasco
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bravo-Cuellar
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hicks-Gómez
authors.forename: Trinidad
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: García-Iglesias
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Preciado-Martínez
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Islas
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González-Unzaga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D002617:Chemical Industry; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006219:Halogens / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006219:Halogens; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances