Assessment of antioxidant vitamin status in Nigerians occupationally and environmentally exposed to electronic waste in Southwestern Nigeria

Background: The menace of unregulated dumping of electronic waste (e-waste) has been a major public health concern in both developing and developed countries. In Nigeria where e-waste reprocessing is substantial, the art has remained unregulated. The possible contribution of optimum antioxidant vitamins in mitigating the effects of occupational metal exposure in Nigerian e-waste workers has received little attention, hence this study. Aim: The present study was aimed at investigating antioxidant vitamin Status in e-waste workers and environmentally exposed participants in Lagos, Benin and Ibadan cities in Southwestern Nigeria Methods: Six hundred and thirty-two consenting participants from three major cities in Nigeria were recruited for this study. They included e-waste workers (EW) (381), environmental e-waste exposed (EEEP) individuals (120) and age- matched apparently healthy and unexposed individuals (131). Vitamins A, C and E were determined in serum using spectrophotometry. Data were analyzed using ANOVA at α0.05. Results: Vitamins A and C in EEEP (2.20±0.04 μmol/L; 116±2.03 μmol/L) were significantly higher than EW (2.08±0.04 μmol/L; 88.75±3.33 μmol/L) and control (1.97±0.09 μmol/L; 92.19±1.68 μmol/L), respectively while vitamin E in EW (8.91±0.19 μmol/L) and EEEP (8.05±0.18 μmol/L) were significantly lower than control (12.36±0.34 μmol/L). Compared by location, levels of antioxidant vitamins in the three participants groups varied significantly from location to location. Conclusion: Nigerians exposed to e-waste through occupational and environmental means may experience decreased levels of vitamin E. Antioxidant supplementation may be recommended with the aim of mitigating the risk of antioxidant vitamins depression in jobs with suspected mixed metal exposure like crude e-waste recycling. Keywords: Antioxidant vitamins; e-waste; Metals; Occupational exposure

Association of Vitamin D and Calcium Levels in E-waste Workers and Environmentally Exposed Participants in Southwestern Nigeria

Exposure to e-waste either by occupation or through the environment have been implicated in cancer development. The growing influx of e-waste to Nigeria and inadequate recycling, part salvaging, distribution and disposal of discarded or obsolete electronic devices is creating new sets of environmental and public health challenges. This study investigated the effect of exposure on vitamin D (25(OH) Vit D), total and ionized calcium levels in workers and individuals environmentally exposed to e-waste in Lagos, Benin and Ibadan cities in Southwestern Nigeria. Six hundred and thirty-two participants from three major cities in Nigeria were recruited for this study. They included e-waste workers, environmental e-waste exposed individuals and age matched unexposed individuals. 25(OH) Vit D was determined using ELISA, while total and ionized calcium by colorimetric method. Total calcium (tCa) in e-waste workers was significantly different from environmental exposed groups (p=0.000) while ionized calcium (iCa) was significantly increased for both e-waste exposed groups when compared with the unexposed group. 25(OH)Vit D level was significantly increased in e-waste workers compared with environmental and unexposed populations (p<0.001). Optimal levels of tCa, iCa and vitamin D in the e-waste exposed population may offer some forms of defense against the severity of existing and undiagnosed cancers or reduce the risk of cancer development in the e-waste exposed participants. However, e-waste may unfavourably modulate these expected beneficial roles in the e-waste exposed populations with continued exposure

Knowledge of prostate cancer and screening practices among men attending urology clinics in tertiary and private health centers in southern Nigeria

Prostate cancer, a disease of public health importance is the most diagnosed solid tumour in men and second leading cause of mortalities in developed and most developed countries. The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge of prostate cancer and screening practices among men attending urology clinics of a tertiary and private based health centers in southern Nigeria. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study and demographic and anthropometric data were collected using well-structured self-administered questionnaires from consented men. A total of three hundred and fifty men participated in this study, 150 were diagnosed of prostate (Mean age 59.4±0.85), 100 were diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia (Mean age 57.8±0.76) and 100 were apparently healthy men used as controls (Mean age 53.5±0.53). Majority of the respondents (58.3%) diagnosed with prostate cancer had knowledge of the disease. A low level of screening practices of prostate cancer (34.1%) was observed among respondents. The study showed statistically significant association between the level of education and knowledge of the disease in all the study groups (P<0.05). Increased education will improve awareness of the disease and positive response to screening which will aid early detection and diagnosis. Key words: prostate cancer; benign prostatic hyperplasia; screening

Neutrophil and lymphocyte function in male subjects with prostate cancer in Edo State, Nigeria

This study was to ascertain the absolute neutrophil and lymphocyte count and functions in male subjects with prostate cancer. Subjects with clinical evidence of prostate cancer were recruited for this study and classified based on drug administration for 12 weeks (subjects on drug therapy and those not on drug therapies). Neutrophil function using Nitroblue Tetrazolium dye reduction, Lymphocyte transformation (%) using mitogens (concanavalin A and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), CD4+ count (cells/μl) using cyflow counter, Total white blood cell count (x 109/L), Absolute lymphocyte count (x 109/L), and Absolute neutrophil count (x 109/L) were used as markers of immune function. Neutrophil function, percentage lymphocyte transformation using phytohaemagglutinin and concanavallin A in prostate cancer subjects were significantly lower (P=0.000) when compared with values obtained from the control group. They were also significantly lower (P=0.000) in prostate cancer subjects on drug therapy compared with those not on therapy. This study shows reduced Neutrophil function and lymphocyte transformation in prostate cancer subjects, indicating possible impairment of this arm of the immune system in prostate cancer and may be the evasion mechanism adopted by cancer cells to thrive