AN IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDY ON WORKERS OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED TO CADMIUM

1 To assess the quantitive relation between exposure to airborne cadmi um and various markers of immune function, 37 male workers were examin ed and compared with unexposed controls. 2 Blood cadmium concentration s were signficantly higher in the exposed workers than in the unexpose d, as was urine cadmium. 3 No differences in the serum immunoglobulin (IgG, IgM and IgA) levels between two populations were observed. There was also no significant correlation between blood cadmium concentrati ons and serum immunoglobulin levels of both exposed and control groups , It has been found also that while monocyte counts signficantly incre ased, lymphocyte, neutrophil and oesinophil counts remained unchanged,