Assessment of Some Biochemical Markers in Plantain (Bole) Rosters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Aim: To assess some biochemical parameters (AST and ALT) and acute phase reactants (ESR and CRP) of plantain rosters in Port-Harcourt.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Eni-Yimini Laboratories Ltd Address Yenezue-Gene, Epie, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State between August and October 2022.

Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study was used in which a convenient sample size of 100 subjects between the ages of 20-50 years was used; out of which 50 subjects were plantain (Bole) roasters (test subjects), while the remaining 50 subjects were not plantain (Bole) roasters (control subjects). The test and control subjects were recruited from Agip, Rumuokoro, Rumuagholu, Igwuruta, Choba, and Aluu axes of Port-Harcourt. Oral consent was obtained from the subjects, and a well-structured questionnaire was used to gather relevant information. Also, blood samples were collected from interested persons, and were dispensed into plain bottles and EDTA-anticoagulated bottles; The blood samples in the plain bottles were used for the analysis of AST, ALT using the ELITech Selectra Pro S method, and CRP using the latex particle-enhanced immunoturbidometry method, while the blood samples in the EDTA-anticoagulated bottles were used to assay for ESR using the Westergren method. GraphPad Prism version 9.0.4 of Apple Macintosh HD Big Sur (version 11.0) statistical package was used for the data analysis, and p<0.05 was used and considered statistically significant.

Results: The results showed no significant difference in the levels of CRP (p=0.0548), ESR (p=0.1207), AST (p=0.2970) and ALT (p=0.0848) when the control and test subjects were compared. The test subjects within the age range of 20-29 years had a significant decrease in CRP (p=0.0035) compared to the control subjects within the same age range. Also, the test subjects within the age range of 40-49 years had a significant increase in ESR (p=0.0094) compared to the control subjects within the same age range. Furthermore, there was a significant positive correlation between age and ESR (p=0.0006), between duration of exposure and ALT (p=0.0008), and between duration of exposure and ESR (p=0.0026). These results may imply that occupational exposure to burning woods when roasting plantain (Bole) did not trigger any inflammation or hepatocellular injury; however, an increase in age in the exposed individuals resulted in an increase in ESR, and an increase in the duration of exposure to wood smoke resulted in an increase in ALT and ESR.

Conclusion: Exposure to burning woods while roasting plantain (Bole) did not trigger any inflammation or hepatocellular injury. However, robust studies establishing the molecular basis for cause and effect are recommended.