History

Pesticides are a first choice of farmers for usage against plant infections and despite their harmful impact on the environment and their body. The aim of this research to determine how pesticides affect the immune system of sprayer farmers and to determine the potential impacts of the long duration of the exposure. Ninety male farmers who exposed pesticides were considered participants after they answered on some question to be sure that they don’t have any disease. They were split into two groups based on their exposure duration (˂5years & ≥5 years) and split into three age groups (˂20, 20-40 and ≥40). As well as, 30 healthy men made up as a control. Blood samples were collected and divided into two parts; on part were used to count the WBCs by CBC test and serums were separated from the second blood part to determine level for IL-1β, TNF-α and cortisol by using kits supplied by My BioSource, American. Our findings demonstrated significant increase in IL-1β and TNF-α levels although the number of WBCs was within the normal value, as well as, significant decrease in cortisol levels of farmers exposed pesticide serum. However, only TNF-α level significantly increased after ≥5 years pesticide exposure duration than <5 years, but no significant difference between others as well as cortisol depended on the age groups of farmers exposed pesticide. While no significant correlation of IL-1β with the cortisol, age and duration, TNF-α has significant positive correlation with only cortisol levels. We could conclude that pesticide can have enduring consequences upon cytokine especially TNF-α that are thought resulting in neuro-immune and hormonal communication change and decrease in the cortisone that could have profound behavioral consequences.