Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Workers of the Main Occupations Exposed to Fine Particulate Matter in Potassium Chloride Production

   Background: Workplace air pollution with fine particulate matter in industrial premises contributes to imbalance of nonspecific and specific immunity factors, increasing the risk of developing premorbid conditions in workers.

   Objective: To study the features of phagocytic activity and subpopulation T-lymphocytes composition in workers engaged in the potassium chloride production.
   Material and methods: The study was conducted in 2019–2022 within the Research Program of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing on hygiene problems, Clause 2.2.18 “Development of approaches to early diagnosis of production-related diseases using genomic and postgenomic analysis technologies in workers
associated with harmful factors of working conditions”, R&D No. 121081900044-4. The observation group consisted of 54 workers of the main occupations exposed, inter alia, to fine respirable particulate matter in potassium chloride production. The comparison group included 67 individuals having no occupational exposure to industrial hazards. We evaluated the
phagocytic activity of peripheral blood leuko¬cytes and determined the level of CD25 + and CD95 + differentiation cluster expression on T-lymphocytes by flow cytometry.
   Results: We measured high airborne concentrations of fine particles at workplaces of mill, centrifuge and filter operators, granulation and drying workers that were 6.6 and 7 times higher than those of PM 2.5 and PM 10 in the working environment of the administrative staff, respectively. We also observed that the ability of neutrophils to absorb and digest foreign particles
was 20 % lower in the workers of the observation group (p = 0.047), while the proportions of CD25 + and CD95 + lymphocytes in them were 30 % and 60 % lower than those in the comparison group, respectively (p = 0.001–0.046).
   Conclusion: We established the effect of fine particulate matter as a priority workplace air pollutant on innate and adaptive immunity in workers of the main occupations in the potassium chloride production facility. Parameters of innate (phagocytic number) and adaptive (CD25 + and CD95 + lymphocytes) immunity are recommended for use in early diagnosis of immune dysfunction and the development of occupational diseases in workers with inhalation exposure to fine particles.

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