Serum Immunoglobulins level in Bangladeshi Dockyard Labourers

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the serum level of immunoglobulins in Bangladeshi
dockyard labourers compared to healthy day labourers. One hundred dockyard labourers, age ranging from 19 to 42
years, were randomly recruited from different dockyards of Keranigonj, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The control group
included 100 day labourers matched by age, sex and socio-economic status to that of dockyard labourers who were
not exposed to environmental hazards of dockyard. Blood samples were analyzed for determining the serum levels of
immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA & IgM) by turbidimetry method using an immunoglobulin kit. The serum concentration
of IgA & IgG were found to be decreased, whereas that of IgM increased in dockyard labourers as compared to
control group, but the differences were not significant (p>0.05). No significant relationship was found between the
socio-demographic variables and immunoglobulin levels at 5% level of significance. But study with larger number of
population is required for further evaluation of the relationship between the immune status and health hazards to
confirm these findings.