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Evaluation of Some Serum Biochemical Parameters of Humans Exposed to Burnt Tire Emissions
CHUKU, LC; ONYEGEME-OKERENTA, BM & OBIA, C
Abstract
Evaluation of some serum biochemical parameters of humans who were exposed to burnt tire
emissions (singeing process) was carried out in this study. Eighty (80) healthy adult males were recruited for the study
after their consents were sought. Fifty-five (55) of them served as the experimental subjects while twenty-five (25) of
them served as the control subjects. The experimental subjects were some singers at Trans Amadi (Oginigba), Port
Harcourt abattoir. The control subjects were some Port Harcourt residents that are not occupationally exposed to
singeing. Venous blood samples were collected from both the experimental and control groups; and their sera were
screened to determine the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), carcinoembryonic
antigen (CEA), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), total serum protein (TSP) and total globulins (TG). The results of the screening
showed that the serum levels of prostate-specific antigen and carcinoembryonic antigen of both the experimental and
the control subjects were within normal range. However, the serum C-reactive protein and alpha-fetoprotein of many
experimental subjects were above the normal range. Also, the majority of the experimental and control subjects had
total globulins below the normal range and total serum protein that were within the normal range. The mean and
standard deviation of the screened parameters for the experimental subjects were 1.17±0.80, 1.52±0.54, 2.42±1.19,
13.20±6.86, 67.27±14.11 and 2.10±1.22 for C-reactive protein, prostate-specific antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen,
alpha-fetoprotein, total serum protein and total globulins respectively. For the control subjects, the mean and standard
deviation of the screened parameters were 0.26±0.22, 1.10±0.37, 2.81±3.14, 6.51±3.50, 70.34±4.43 and 22.97±5.06
for C-reactive protein, prostate-specific antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen, alpha-fetoprotein, total serum protein and
total globulins respectively. In conclusion, the study has demonstrated that alpha-fetoprotein and C-reactive protein are
elevated in the serum of the experimental subjects who are occupationally exposed to singeing process.
Keywords
Singeing; abattoir; Prostate-specific antigen; C-reactive protein; Carcinoembryonic antigen
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