Comparison of Biochemical, Haematological and Plasmatic Butyrylcholinesterase Parameters in Farmers and Non-Farmers, Morocco.

Background: The long-term use of pesticides can cause harmful consequences to both human health and the environment. In the present research, we aimed to compare biochemical, hematological, and plasmatic measurements of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) between farmers and non-farmers.

Materials and methods: The study is cross-sectional and included 270 participants, with 135 farmers using pesticides and a control population of 135 non-farmers. The recruitment of the participants was conducted from August 2017 to the end of December 2019. Blood samples from participants were collected for the evaluation of biochemical markers of the function of the liver and determination of BChE activity. A whole blood sample with ethylenediamine tetraacetic anticoagulant (EDTA) was also taken for a complete blood count.

Results: The results showed a statistically significant (P = 0.03) decrease in mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) in the cases (28.45 ± 2.94 pg) as compared with controls (29.17 ± 2.54 pg). The statistical analysis of the renal parameters between the two groups determined that the uremia value was significantly higher in cases (34 ± 12 mg/dL) when compared to the control group (29 ± 8 mg/dL) P < 0.001. The cases recorded a significant increase in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (26.22 ± 11.59 U/L) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (25.63 ± 13.47 U/L) enzyme activities among cases versus controls. The results obtained showed a significantly decreased BChE activity in the group of cases exposed to pesticides (7554.52 ± 2107 U/l) compared to the unexposed control group (10135.58 ± 1909 U/l) (t-test, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The education of the farmers on correct practices concerning phytosanitary use has the potential of reducing their exposure to these products.