Correlation study between Erythrocyte Acetylcholinesterase activity, Serum Malondialdehyde and Insulin sensitivity in Agricultural workers and non-agricultural workers in Nat-Kan Village, Magway Township / Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies

Objective@#This study determined the correlation between erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and insulin sensitivity in agricultural workers and non-agricultural workers.@*Methodology@#The cross-sectional comparative study was undertaken in 45 agricultural and 45 non-agricultural workers from Nat-Kan Village, Magway Township. Erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity and serum malondialdehyde were measured by spectrophotometric method. Insulin sensitivity was calculated by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR).@*Results@#Mean erythrocyte AChE activity was significantly lower in agricultural (3553.99 IU/L) compared with non-agricultural workers (4432.68 IU/L) (p<0.001). A significant high level of mean serum MDA was observed in agricultural workers (0.74 versus 0.28 μmol/L, p<0.001). Median HOMA-IR value was significantly higher in agricultural (2.74) than that of non-agricultural workers (2.28) (p<0.05). The risk of insulin resistance was 2.8 times greater in agricultural workers than non-agricultural workers (OR 2.8, 95% CI, 1.18 to 6.72). Erythrocyte AChE activity had weak negative correlation with serum MDA level (r=-0.357, p<0.001) and HOMA-IR (ρ= -0.305, p<0.05). There was a significant but weak positive correlation between serum MDA level and HOMA-IR (ρ=0.355, p<0.001).@*Conclusion@#Organophosphate pesticide exposure lowered erythrocyte AChE activity and increased oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is partly attributed to the development of insulin resistance

Serum cholinesterase and erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity in patients with neuroblastoma.

Serum cholinesterase (ChE), red cell acetylcholinesterase (AChE), were determined in 18 neuroblastoma patients ages ranged from 8 months to 4 years. Sixteen patients (89%) were anemic and 15 patients (83%) showed bone marrow invasion and/or liver involvement. Both mean values of serum ChE and red cell AChE activities were significantly lower than those of 80 normal subjects. There was no relationship between red cell AChE and Hb, Ht or white blood cell count. The cause and mechanism of reduced serum ChE and red cell AChE activities in patients with neuroblastoma were possibly due to the invasion of the liver and bone marrow by the tumor cells. Although neuroblastoma cells can synthesize AChE which is inversely regulated by the rate of cell division, determination of serum ChE and red cell AChE could not serve to distinguish neuroblastoma from the other types of human tumour cells.