Endocrine and immunological parameters in individuals involved in Prestige spill cleanup tasks seven years after the exposure
In November 2002 the oil tanker Prestige spilled 63,000 tonnes of heavy oil off the northwest coast of Spain, impacting more than 1000 km of coastline. A general concern led to a huge mobilization of human and technical resources, and more than 300,000 people participated in cleanup activities, whic...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2013-09-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412013001153 |
| _version_ | 1818910336597622784 |
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| author | Blanca Laffon Francisco Aguilera Julia Ríos-Vázquez Julia García-Lestón Dietmar Fuchs Vanessa Valdiglesias Eduardo Pásaro |
| author_facet | Blanca Laffon Francisco Aguilera Julia Ríos-Vázquez Julia García-Lestón Dietmar Fuchs Vanessa Valdiglesias Eduardo Pásaro |
| author_sort | Blanca Laffon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In November 2002 the oil tanker Prestige spilled 63,000 tonnes of heavy oil off the northwest coast of Spain, impacting more than 1000 km of coastline. A general concern led to a huge mobilization of human and technical resources, and more than 300,000 people participated in cleanup activities, which lasted up to 10 months. Some endocrine and immunological alterations were reported in Prestige oil exposed subjects for several months. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate if these alterations are still present seven years after the exposure. Fifty-four individuals exposed for at least 2 months were compared to 50 matched referents. Prolactin and cortisol plasma concentrations, percentages of lymphocyte subsets (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, and CD56+16+), plasma levels of circulating cytokines (interleukin (IL) 2, IL4, IL6, IL10, tumour necrosis factor α, and interferon γ), and serum concentrations of neopterin, tryptophan and kynurenine were determined in peripheral blood samples. Results showed significant differences in exposed individuals vs. referents only in cortisol (increase), kynurenine and %CD16+56+ lymphocytes (both decrease). Time of exposure to the oil or using protective clothes did not influence the results, but effect of using protective mask was observed on neopterin, %CD8+, CD4+/CD8+ ratio and IL4. Surveillance of the exposed individuals for early detection of possible health problems related to the endocrine or immunological systems is recommended. Keywords: Circulating cytokines, Endocrine toxicity, Lymphocyte subsets, Neopterin, Prestige oil spill, Tryptophan degradation |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T22:41:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e312d915d3df48c78cfb430cde00591e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T22:41:11Z |
| publishDate | 2013-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj.art-e312d915d3df48c78cfb430cde00591e2022-12-21T20:03:04ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202013-09-0159103111Endocrine and immunological parameters in individuals involved in Prestige spill cleanup tasks seven years after the exposureBlanca Laffon0Francisco Aguilera1Julia Ríos-Vázquez2Julia García-Lestón3Dietmar Fuchs4Vanessa Valdiglesias5Eduardo Pásaro6Toxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, Spain; Corresponding author at: Toxicology Unit, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, Spain. Tel.: +34 981 167000; fax: +34 981 167172.Toxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, Spain; Medical Technology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valparaiso, ChileToxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, SpainToxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, SpainDivision of Biological Chemistry, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, Innrain 80, 4th Floor, Room M04-313, A-6020 Innsbruck, AustriaToxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, SpainToxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, SpainIn November 2002 the oil tanker Prestige spilled 63,000 tonnes of heavy oil off the northwest coast of Spain, impacting more than 1000 km of coastline. A general concern led to a huge mobilization of human and technical resources, and more than 300,000 people participated in cleanup activities, which lasted up to 10 months. Some endocrine and immunological alterations were reported in Prestige oil exposed subjects for several months. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate if these alterations are still present seven years after the exposure. Fifty-four individuals exposed for at least 2 months were compared to 50 matched referents. Prolactin and cortisol plasma concentrations, percentages of lymphocyte subsets (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, and CD56+16+), plasma levels of circulating cytokines (interleukin (IL) 2, IL4, IL6, IL10, tumour necrosis factor α, and interferon γ), and serum concentrations of neopterin, tryptophan and kynurenine were determined in peripheral blood samples. Results showed significant differences in exposed individuals vs. referents only in cortisol (increase), kynurenine and %CD16+56+ lymphocytes (both decrease). Time of exposure to the oil or using protective clothes did not influence the results, but effect of using protective mask was observed on neopterin, %CD8+, CD4+/CD8+ ratio and IL4. Surveillance of the exposed individuals for early detection of possible health problems related to the endocrine or immunological systems is recommended. Keywords: Circulating cytokines, Endocrine toxicity, Lymphocyte subsets, Neopterin, Prestige oil spill, Tryptophan degradationhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412013001153 |
| spellingShingle | Blanca Laffon Francisco Aguilera Julia Ríos-Vázquez Julia García-Lestón Dietmar Fuchs Vanessa Valdiglesias Eduardo Pásaro Endocrine and immunological parameters in individuals involved in Prestige spill cleanup tasks seven years after the exposure Environment International |
| title | Endocrine and immunological parameters in individuals involved in Prestige spill cleanup tasks seven years after the exposure |
| title_full | Endocrine and immunological parameters in individuals involved in Prestige spill cleanup tasks seven years after the exposure |
| title_fullStr | Endocrine and immunological parameters in individuals involved in Prestige spill cleanup tasks seven years after the exposure |
| title_full_unstemmed | Endocrine and immunological parameters in individuals involved in Prestige spill cleanup tasks seven years after the exposure |
| title_short | Endocrine and immunological parameters in individuals involved in Prestige spill cleanup tasks seven years after the exposure |
| title_sort | endocrine and immunological parameters in individuals involved in prestige spill cleanup tasks seven years after the exposure |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412013001153 |
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