Oil-producing enterprise

Arterial hypertension is an urgent health problem worldwide causing an increase in temporary and permanent disability, invalidity and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases. Researchers recognize the multifactorial nature of arterial hypertension, but environmental factors are of particular potential importance. The working conditions at oil production enterprises are characterized by a more pronounced influence of these factors which may predispose for early development of disadaptation disorders, functional changes in immune and humoral regulation, and, finally, for increased risk of cardiovascular diseases in people engaged in oil production. The aim of the present work was to study the features of immunity and humoral risk factors of arterial hypertension in hypertensive employees at an oil-producing enterprise. To this purpose, a comparative analysis of lymphocyte subpopulations (CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD25+), markers of apoptosis (CD3+CD95+, TNFR, p53, Bax, Annexin V-FITC+7AAD), phagocytic activity of leukocytes (absolute phagocytosis index), and the levels of vascular humoral factors (nitric oxide and homocysteine) was performed in employees of an oil production enterprise exposed to adverse production factors. The observational group consisted of employees with established episodes of increased blood pressure. A comparison group consisted of individuals without clinical manifestations of cardiovascular disease. As a result of the clinical and laboratory examination of employees at the oil-producing enterprise with arterial hypertension, some functional changes in immune regulation were revealed. This group was characterized by a significantly (p 0.05) decreased CD3+CD4+, and CD3+CD25+ lymphocyte contents, along with increased levels of regulatory CD127 lymphocytes against the comparison group (p 0.05). The workers at an oil production enterprise with arterial hypertension are characterized by decreased (p 0.05) phagocytic activity of peripheral blood leukocytes using the criteria of absolute phagocytosis. We found some signs of inhibited lymphocyte apoptosis (p 0.05), i.e., a decrease in CD95+, TNFR, and p53 over the background values, as well as increased Bax levels over the comparison group (p 0.05). However, the content of TNFR and p53 significantly (p 0.05) exceeded the reference level, regardless of previous arterial hypertension episodes. Development of the high blood pressure episodes among the employees at oi-producing plant showed a significant association (p 0.05) with elevated levels of homocysteine and nitric oxide concentrations which are known to induce endothelial dysfunction, atherogenesis and, hence, a persistent increase in blood pressure.