ABSTRACT
The aim of the present work was to determine if the use of pesticide mixtures produced alterations in immunotoxicity biomarkers. The study was undertaken in three groups: the first group consisted of 38 floriculturists, the second comprised 38 vendors of the local market, and the last comprised 33 non-exposed persons from another locality. The determinations included haematocrit, mean cellular volume, hemoglobin, number of erythrocytes and leukocytes, immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM, and IgE), percentage of T-lymphocytes, and mitotic index from lymphocyte cultures with and without phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). The obtained results indicated the following: (i) in the level of the studied immunoglobulins, the results were within the reference values; (ii) there was a reduction in the amount of T-lymphocytes in the floriculturists in comparison with the determined in the other two groups; (iii) there was a decrease in the mitotic index of PHA-stimulated lymphocyte cultures of floriculturists and vendors in relation to the value of the control group; (iv) there was an increase in the mitotic index of unstimulated lymphocytes of floriculturists compared with the lymphocytes of the other two groups; and (v) there was no correlation between the results and the personal characteristics of the studied individuals. Our results established an immunotoxic effect in the floriculturists exposed to pesticides.
