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The impact of elevated blood lead level on some haematological parameters was studied in the field force of Lahore traffic police, in Pakistan. The blood samples were tested for total leucocytes count (TLC) and differential leucocytes count in the persons with high and low blood lead levels. The TLC and percentage of neutrophils and eosinophils were observed as being significantly elevated in the policemen. No significant change was observed in the percentage of lymphocytes, while the percentage of monocytes was observed as being significantly less in the field force of traffic police.

Cellular senescence is characterized by a permanent cell-cycle arrest and a pro-inflammatory secretory phenotype, and can be induced by a variety of stimuli, including ionizing radiation, oxidative stress, and inflammation. In endothelial cells, this phenomenon might contribute to vascular disease. Plasma levels of the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) are increased in age-related and chronic conditions such as atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and Crohn’s disease. Although TNFα is a known activator of the central inflammatory mediator NF-κB, and can induce the intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the question whether TNFα can induce senescence has not been answered conclusively. Here, we investigated the effect of prolonged TNFα exposure on the fate of endothelial cells and found that such treatment induced premature senescence. Induction of endothelial senescence was prevented by the anti-oxidant N-acetyl cysteine, as well as by plumericin and PHA-408, inhibitors of the NF-κB pathway. Our results indicated that prolonged TNFα exposure could have detrimental consequences to endothelial cells by causing senescence and, therefore, chronically increased TNFα levels might possibly contribute to the pathology of chronic inflammatory diseases by driving premature endothelial senescence.

Chromium (Cr), being an excellent tanning agent, is widely used in the leather industry and tannery workers (TW) are exposed to it either in the form of inorganic Cr(III) compounds or Cr bound to proteins (leather dust) in the process of leather production. During the present study, the effect of Cr on the hematological indices in TW was evaluated. In this study, hematological indices of 92 male TW aged 20—60 years were compared with 79 control males who hardly had a chance of exposure to chromium. Both groups were subdivided into four age groups with an interval of 10: group A, 20—29 years; group B, 30—39 years; group C, 40—49 years; group D, 50—60 years. Total erythrocyte count (TEC) was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in TW of age group A, B and C than control subjects. Packed cell volume (PCV) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in TW of age group B while mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in TW of age group D. Within the TW, MCH was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the age group D as compared to age group A and B. No significant changes were observed in the values of hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration between TW and control individuals. The low values of TEC, PCV and MCH might be a result of chromium exposure in the tannery workers and may act as indicators of chromium toxicity.

Background Prescription of antimalarial drugs in the absence of malarial disease is a common practice in countries where malaria is endemic. However, unwarranted use of such drugs can cause side effects in some people and is a financial drain on local economies. In this study, we surveyed the prevalence of malaria parasites in humans, and the prevalence of the malaria transmitting mosquito vectors in the study area. We also investigated the use of antimalarial drugs in the local people. We focused on randomly selected rural areas of eastern Pakistan where no malaria cases had been reported since May 2004. Methods Mass blood surveys, active case detection, passive case detection, and vector density surveys were carried out in selected areas of Sargodha district from September 2008 to August 2009. Data pertaining to the quantities and types of antimalarial drugs used in these areas were collected from health centers, pharmacies, and the district CDC program of the Health Department of the Government of the Punjab. Results Seven hundred and forty four blood samples were examined, resulting in a Blood Examination Rate (BER) of 3.18; microscopic analysis of blood smears showed that none of the samples were positive for malaria parasites. Investigation of the mosquito vector density in 43 living rooms (bedrooms or rooms used for sleeping), 23 stores, and 32 animal sheds, revealed no vectors capable of transmitting malaria in these locations. In contrast, the density of Culex mosquitoes was high. Substantial consumption of a variety of antimalarial tablets, syrups, capsules and injections costing around 1000 US$, was documented for the region. Conclusion Use of antimalarial drugs in the absence of malarial infection or the vectors that transmit the disease was common in the study area. Continuous use of such drugs, not only in Pakistan, but in other parts of the world, may lead to drug-induced side effects amongst users. Better training of health care professionals is needed to ensure accurate diagnoses of malaria and appropriate prescription of antimalarial drugs delivered to communities.