Hematological and immunological effects of stress of air traffic controllers in northeastern Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Ribas,Valdenilson Ribeiro
• Data de Publicação: 2011
• Outros Autores: Martins,Hugo André de Lima, Viana,Marcelo Tavares, Fraga,Simone do Nascimento, Carneiro,Severino Marcos de Oliveira, Galvão,Bruno Henrique Andrade, Bezerra,Alice Andrade, Castro,Célia Maria Machado Barbosa de, Sougey,Everton Botelho, Castro,Raul Manhães de
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista brasileira de hematologia e hemoterapia (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-84842011000300011
• topic: Stress, physiological; Bournout, professional; Leukocytes; Immunity; Occupational health; Brazil

BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown that stress and emotional reactions can affect immune responses in animals and humans. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate hematological and immunological effects of stress on air traffic controllers. METHODS: Thirty air traffic controllers and 15 aeronautical information service operators were evaluated. The groups were divided as information service operators with 10 years or more of experience (AIS&gt;10) and with less than 10 years in the profession (AIS<10) and air traffic controllers with 10 years or more of experience (ATCo&gt;10) and with less than 10 years in the profession (ATCo<10). Blood samples were drawn at 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. The paired t-test was used to compare monocyte and nitric oxide concentrations and ANOVA was used for the other parameters. RESULTS: The ATCo&gt;10 group presented a significantly lower phagocytosis rate of monocytes at 2:00 p.m. compared to 8:00 a.m. Moreover, the ATCo&gt;10 group presented lower hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, platelet and leukocyte levels, and increased cortisol concentrations at 8:00 a.m. compared to the other groups. Additionally, this group had lower phagocytosis rate of monocytes, and hemoglobin, platelet, leukocyte, basophils and nitric oxide levels at 2:00 p.m. compared to the other groups. CONCLUSION: Stress seems to greatly affect immune responses of air traffic controllers with more than ten years of experience.