Immune function and lifestyle of taxi drivers in Japan

Immunomodulatory functional foods and their molecular mechanisms

The immune system comprises a complex group of processes that provide defense against diverse pathogens. These defenses can be divided into innate and adaptive immunity, in which specific immune components converge to limit infections. In addition to genetic factors, aging, lifestyle, and environmental factors can influence immune function, potentially affecting the susceptibility of the host to disease-causing agents. Chemical compounds in certain foods have been shown to regulate signal transduction and cell phenotypes, ultimately impacting pathophysiology. Research has shown that the consumption of specific functional foods can stimulate the activity of immune cells, providing protection against cancer, viruses, and bacteria. Here, we review a number of functional foods reported to strengthen immunity, including ginseng, mushrooms, chlorella, and probiotics (Lactobacillus plantarum). We also discuss the molecular mechanisms involved in regulating the activity of various types of immune cells. Identifying immune-enhancing functional foods and understanding their mechanisms of action will support new approaches to maintain proper health and combat immunological diseases.

Evidence is building to support the idea that specific ‘functional foods’ can stimulate the activity of cells and signaling systems of the immune system to provide protection against cancer, viruses and bacteria. Sanguine Byun and colleagues at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, review research into a range of functional foods, foods thought to have health benefits beyond their nutritional value. These include ginseng, mushrooms, the green algae called Chlorella and the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum. They also consider individual components of foods such as poly-gamma-glutamate, a natural polymer made by bacteria. A wide body of research is revealing diverse molecular mechanisms through which biochemicals in functional foods can modulate different aspects of the immune system. These include effects on both non-specific innate immunity and adaptive immunity, which targets specific invading pathogens and diseased cells.

Predictors of Health Insurance, Life Insurance, and Retirement Savings Among NYC's Immigrant Taxi and For-Hire Vehicle Drivers

Taxi and for-hire vehicle (FHV) drivers are a predominantly immigrant population facing a range of occupational stressors, including lack of workplace benefits and increasing financial strain from tumultuous industry changes and now COVID-19's devastating impact. Bilingual research staff surveyed 422 New York City taxi/FHV drivers using a stratified sampling approach in driver-frequented locations to examine drivers' health and financial planning behaviors for the first time. Drivers lacked health insurance at double the NYC rate (20% vs. 10%). Life insurance and retirement savings rates were lower than U.S. averages (20% vs. 60%, 25% vs. 58%, respectively). Vehicle ownership was a significant predictor of health insurance, life insurance, and retirement savings. Compared to South Asian drivers, Sub-Saharan African drivers were significantly less likely to have health insurance and North African, and Middle Eastern drivers were significantly less likely to have retirement savings. Although most drivers indicated the importance of insurance and benefits, < 50% understood how to use them. Drivers felt primary care coverage to be most important followed by other health-related coverage, retirement benefits, and life insurance. Results reveal compelling addressable gaps in insurance and benefits coverage and the need to implement accessible financial literacy with navigation and advising services and programs.

Discrimination as a social determinant of stress and health among New York City taxi drivers

Discrimination is associated with poorer mental and physical health outcomes. Taxi drivers have a higher risk of exposure to discrimination and higher rates of chronic conditions. A cross-sectional needs assessment was conducted with a multilingual group of 535 male taxi drivers in New York City. Drivers reporting higher discrimination were more likely to have higher perceived stress and were more likely to have anxiety/depression and chronic pain, adjusting for confounders. Workplace-based interventions designed to help drivers cope with discrimination, stress, and chronic health conditions, interventions to educate the taxi-riding public, and greater attention to these issues from administrative agencies are warranted.

Repeated stress induces a pro-inflammatory state, increases amygdala neuronal and microglial activation, and causes anxiety in adult male rats

A link exists between immune function and psychiatric conditions, particularly depressive and anxiety disorders. Psychological stress is a powerful trigger for these disorders and stress influences immune state. However, the nature of peripheral immune changes after stress conflicts across studies, perhaps due to the focus on few measures of pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory processes. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is critical for emotion, and plays an important role in the effects of stress on anxiety. As such, it may be a primary central nervous system (CNS) mediator for the effects of peripheral immune changes on anxiety after stress. Therefore, this study aimed to delineate the influence of stress on peripheral pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory aspects, BLA immune activation, and its impact on BLA neuronal activity. To produce a more encompassing view of peripheral immune changes, this study used a less restrictive approach to categorize and group peripheral immune changes. We found that repeated social defeat stress in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats increased the frequencies of mature T-cells positive for intracellular type 2-like cytokine and serum pro-inflammatory cytokines. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering was used to guide grouping of T-cells and cytokines, producing unique profiles. Stress shifted the balance towards a specific set that included mostly type 2-like T-cells and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Within the CNS component, repeated stress caused an increase of activated microglia in the BLA, increased anxiety-like behaviors across several assays, and increased BLA neuronal firing in vivo that was prevented by blockade of microglia activation. Because repeated stress can trigger anxiety states by actions in the BLA, and altered immune function can trigger anxiety, these results suggest that repeated stress may trigger anxiety-like behaviors by inducing a pro-inflammatory state in the periphery and the BLA. These results begin to uncover how stress may recruit the immune system to alter the function of brain regions critical to emotion.

Discrimination and Health Among Taxi Drivers in New York and Toronto

Immigrant taxi drivers in metropolitan cities are exposed to experiences of discrimination and occupation-based health risks. Given the structural differences in health care systems in the United States and Canada, we investigated the differences in reports of discrimination, health conditions and concern about health conditions between taxi drivers in New York City and Toronto, Ontario. Participants were recruited for a taxi driver Needs Assessment Survey as part of a Taxi Network needs assessment project using a street side convenience sampling technique in New York City and Toronto. The matched sample contained 33 drivers from Toronto and 33 drivers from NYC. All Toronto drivers in our sample reported having health insurance while over a quarter of NYC drivers did not have health insurance. Toronto drivers reported greater everyday and workplace discrimination. Drivers in both cities experienced higher rates than average, and reported concern about, major health conditions. We also found preliminary evidence suggesting a relationship between experiencing discrimination and reporting chronic pain. Our findings suggest the need for future research to more closely examine the associations between discrimination and health among the taxi driver population.

Peripheral inflammatory cytokines and immune balance in Generalised Anxiety Disorder: Case-controlled study

INTRODUCTION

Previous investigations have demonstrated that major depression is associated with particular patterns of cytokine signalling. The primary aim of this study was to examine peripheral pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and immune balance in Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

METHODS

A case-controlled cross-sectional study design was employed: 54 patients with GAD and 64 healthy controls were recruited. Participants completed self-report measures of anxiety and depression. Two pro-inflammatory and two anti-inflammatory cytokines were measured using multiplex technology.

RESULTS

Case-control logistic regression analyses revealed significant differences in serum levels of IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ between GAD and control groups after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, smoking and alcohol consumption: these group differences were independent of the presence or degree of depression. Comparison of pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory cytokine ratios indicated that there were significantly higher ratios of TNF-α/IL10, TNF-α/IL4, IFN-γ/IL10, and IFN-γ/IL4 in the GAD group compared to the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first to investigate both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and their balance in patients with GAD in comparison to healthy controls. The findings indicate a relatively increased pro-inflammatory response and decreased anti-inflammatory response and provide the first demonstration of an altered cytokine balance in GAD. Serum cytokine levels in GAD were independent of the presence of depression.

Salivary markers of inflammation in response to acute stress

There is burgeoning interest in the ability to detect inflammatory markers in response to stress within naturally occurring social contexts and/or across multiple time points per day within individuals. Salivary collection is a less invasive process than current methods of blood collection and enables intensive naturalistic methodologies, such as those involving extensive repeated measures per day over time. Yet the reliability and validity of saliva-based to blood-based inflammatory biomarkers in response to stress remains unclear. We review and synthesize the published studies that have examined salivary markers of inflammation following exposure to an acute laboratory stressor. Results from each study are reviewed by analyte (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, CRP) and stress type (social-cognitive and exercise-physical), after which methodological issues and limitations are addressed. Although the literature is limited, several inflammatory markers (including IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6) have been reliably determined from saliva and have increased significantly in response to stress across multiple studies, with effect sizes ranging from very small to very large. Although CRP from saliva has been associated with CRP in circulating blood more consistently than other biomarkers have been associated with their counterparts in blood, evidence demonstrating it reliably responds to acute stress is absent. Although the current literature is presently too limited to allow broad assertion that inflammatory biomarkers determined from saliva are valuable for examining acute stress responses, this review suggests that specific targets may be valid and highlights specific areas of need for future research.

Driving to better health: cancer and cardiovascular risk assessment among taxi cab operators in Chicago

While a number of investigations of the health of taxi cab drivers have been conducted in Europe, Asia, and Africa, virtually none have been conducted in the United States. We undertook a survey of taxi cab operators in the Chicago area to understand better their health status and health promotion practices. The survey was completed by a convenience sample of 751 Chicago taxi drivers. Taxi drivers had low rates of insurance coverage, fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical activity compared with the general Chicago population. Participation in cancer screening tests was also lower for this group. A high proportion of taxi drivers are immigrants. They tend to be highly educated and report a readiness to engage in more health-promoting behaviors. Further research is needed to develop a targeted intervention for this population.

Cytokines in schizophrenia: possible role of anti-inflammatory medications in clinical and preclinical stages

AIMS

In this paper, we review the literature on the efficacy of anti-inflammatory agents as neuroprotectors in clinical and preclinical stages of schizophrenia.

METHOD

A synthetic and integrative approach was applied to review studies stemming from epidemiology, phenomenology, cognition, genetics and neuroimaging data. We provide conclusions and future directions of research on early-onset schizophrenia.

RESULTS

Abnormal inflammatory activation has been demonstrated in schizophrenia. Increases or imbalances in cytokines before birth or during childhood may impact neurodevelopment and produce vulnerability to schizophrenia. The specificity of inflammatory abnormalities in psychiatric disorders is controversial. Similar increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines have been described in other disorders, especially mood and anxiety disorders. One of the most important challenges at this point is the understanding of neurobiological correlates of prodromal stages of schizophrenia.

CONCLUSION

Although future research should investigate the exact role of different cytokines in pathophysiology of schizophrenia, these mediators emerge as promising molecular targets to its prevention and treatment.

Psychosocial job stress and immunity: a systematic review

The purpose of this review was to provide current knowledge about the possible association between psychosocial job stress and immune parameters in blood, saliva, and urine. Using bibliographic databases (PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Science, Medline) and the snowball method, 56 studies were found. In general, exposure to psychosocial job stress (high job demands, low job control, high job strain, job dissatisfaction, high effort-reward imbalance, overcommitment, burnout, unemployment, organizational downsizing, economic recession) had a measurable impact on immune parameters (reduced NK cell activity, NK and T cell subsets, CD4+/CD8+ ratio, and increased inflammatory markers). The evidence supports that psychosocial job stresses are related to disrupted immune responses but further research is needed to demonstrate cause-effect relationships.

Effect of acetylcholine on mitogen response of peripheral lymphocytes isolated from rats exposed to chronic stress

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of acetylcholine (Ach) on lymphocyte function in rats under chronic stress. The authors isolated peripheral lymphocytes from rats 5 weeks after stress treatment and then measured interleukin-2 (IL-2) production after stimulation with concanavalin A or phytohemagglutinin-L. Although mitogen-induced IL-2 production of the stress group was lower than that of the control group, the addition of Ach significantly increased mitogen-induced IL-2 production in both groups. This effect of Ach was inhibited by atropine in the control group only. The changes (increasing rates) in mitogen-induced IL-2 production from basal condition showed a negative correlation with serum corticosterone concentrations. The authors observed no correlation between the effects of Ach (changes in mitogen-induced IL-2 production with Ach compared to those without Ach) and serum corticosterone concentration. These findings suggest that stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system improves lymphocyte function during chronic stress.

Correlation of Occupational Stress Index with 24-hour Urine Cortisol and Serum DHEA Sulfate among City Bus Drivers: A Cross-sectional Study

Objectives

The questionnaire of occupational stress index (OSI) has been popular in the workplace, and it has been tailored for bus drivers in Taiwan. Nevertheless, its outcomes for participants are based on self-evaluations, thus validation by their physiological stress biomarker is warranted and this is the main goal of this study.

Methods

A cross-sectional study of sixty-three city bus drivers and fifty-four supporting staffs for comparison was conducted. Questionnaire surveys, 24-hour urine cortisol testing, and blood draws for dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) testing were performed. The measured concentrations of these biological measures were logarithmically transformed before the statistical analysis where various scores of stressor factors, moderators, and stress effects of each OSI domain were analyzed by applying multiple linear regression models.

Results

For drivers, the elevated 24-hour urine cortisol level was associated with a worker's relationship with their supervisor and any life change events in the most recent 3 months. The DHEA-S level was higher in drivers of younger age as well as drivers with more concerns relating to their salary and bonuses. Non-drivers showed no association between any stressor or satisfaction and urine cortisol and blood DHEA-S levels.

Conclusion

Measurements of biomarkers may offer additional stress evaluations with OSI questionnaires for bus drivers. Increased DHEA-S and cortisol levels may result from stressors like income security. Prevention efforts towards occupational stress and life events and health promotional efforts for aged driver were important anti-stress remedies.

Monitoring antioxidant defenses and free radical production in space-flight, aviation and railway engine operators, for the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress, immunological impairment, and pre-mature cell aging

Degenerative diseases, immune impairment, and premature ageing commonly affect professional categories exposed to severe environmental and psychological stress. Among these, cosmonauts routinely experience extreme conditions due to microgravity, space radiation, altered oxygen supply, physical and mental fatigue during training, spaceflight, and post-flight. Long route aviation pilots display elevated oncogenic risk, connected with cosmic radiation overexposure, and high mortality rates for cardiovascular causes. Engine drivers, like pilots, are affected by health consequences of psycho-emotional stress, and burnout syndrome. The free radical (FR)/antioxidant (AO) imbalance is a common feature in all these pathological conditions. To assess the effective relevance of oxidative stress, we analyzed blood and urine reliable markers of FR production and AO defenses in 12 Russian cosmonauts, 55 airline pilots, 63 train engine drivers, and 50 age-matched controls by measuring the following: (a) lipophilic/hydrophilic low-molecular weight AO and AO enzyme activities, (b) nitric oxide, superoxide anion, hydroperoxide production, and (c) urinary catecholamine/serotonine metabolites and lipoperoxidation markers. Cosmonauts showed elevated granulocyte superoxide and nitric oxide production, increased erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione oxidation, and drastically decreased plasma/leucocyte lipophilic AO levels (P < 0.001-0.01). Aviation pilots, like train drivers, displayed a mild but constant oxidative stress, more pronounced in intercontinental routes pilots, and consistent with lymphocyte chromosomal alterations, DNA oxidation, and cardiovascular malfunction. Results obtained on these selected professionals operating under wearing conditions offer a solid molecular basis for advising the regular monitoring of clinical biochemistry laboratory markers of AO/FR status, to tailor individually specific AO supplementation and diet regimen, and monitor treatment outcomes.

T-helper 1/T-helper 2 cytokine imbalance and clinical phenotypes of acute-phase major depression

Several studies have discussed the relationships between T-helper 1 (Th1) or Th2 cytokines and major depression. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships between Th1/Th2 cytokine balance and clinical phenotypes of acute-phase major depression. A total of 82 subjects including 42 patients with major depressive disorder and 40 healthy controls were recruited. Serum cytokine levels of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and IL-10 were examined. Using ancova with age and body mass index (BMI) adjustments, there were no significant differences in serum IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, and IL-10 levels between patients with major depressive disorder and healthy controls. However, using ANCOVA with BMI adjustment only, the results showed that patients with major depressive disorder had significantly higher TNF-alpha levels than control subjects. In addition, using ANCOVA with age and BMI adjustments, significantly higher serum IL-1beta level and IL-1beta/IL-10 ratio were noted in patients with melancholic features than patients with non-melancholic features. However, there were no significant differences in serum IL-1beta, TNF-alpha and IL-10 levels between patients with and without suicide attempt. In conclusion, serum TNF-alpha, IL-1beta level and IL-1beta/IL-10 ratio might play an important role in the psychopathology of acute-phase major depressive disorder.

Disturbance of serum interleukin-2 and interleukin-8 levels in posttraumatic and non-posttraumatic stress disorder earthquake survivors in northern China

OBJECTIVE

It is evident that immune cytokines are involved in the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but results of different studies are still inconsistent. Here, serum interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6 and IL-8 levels were compared between earthquake survivors with PTSD, those with non-PTSD and normal controls to investigate whether there is any relationship between cytokine levels and PTSD. In addition, the relationship of these cytokines with psychological parameters of the disorder was examined as well.

METHODS

Thirty-four earthquake survivors with PTSD (according to DSM-IV criteria), 30 earthquake survivors with non-PTSD and 34 controls were recruited in northern China using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview instrument. Serum IL-2, IL-6 and IL-8 levels were compared. IL-2 levels were measured by radioimmunometric assay, while serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels were measured using sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Psychological symptoms were assessed using 3 subscales of the Symptoms Checklist (SCL-90-R), including depression, anxiety and somatization.

RESULTS

Only earthquake survivors diagnosed with PTSD had significantly lower serum IL-8 levels. Also, we found that earthquake survivors (either with PTSD or non-PTSD) had significantly lower serum IL-2 levels and more severe psychological symptoms. The severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms in earthquake survivors was positively related to serum IL-6 levels.

CONCLUSIONS

PTSD may be associated with a reduced level of serum IL-8, and traumatic survivors may be associated with a lower level of serum IL-2.

Lymphocyte numbers and subsets in the human blood. Do they mirror the situation in all organs?

Lymphocyte numbers in the blood are used to evaluate the immune status on a daily basis in medicine. Several studies have documented the normal ranges of lymphocytes and lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood. A variety of techniques and criteria have revealed clear differences between the lymphocyte subsets in childhood and adolescence. Race and gender are also variables for blood lymphocytes, and even environmental factors seem to influence the numbers of some lymphocyte populations. However, do all these variations in lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood mirror changes in the lymphocyte populations of the whole body, or is it just a result of different migratory habits of cells? The factors influencing the distribution of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood with regard to the different abilities of T and B cells to migrate to distinct lymphoid or non-lymphoid tissue are summarized. In addition it will be described how the removal of organs (e.g. thymus, spleen, liver) influences the distribution of lymphocytes in the blood. All these parameters should be considered not only in the clinical situation when the immune status of a patient is extrapolated from the lymphocyte numbers in the blood, but also when interpreting treatment effects in patients.

[Measuring levels of professionally-related stress in taxi drivers in Fes, Morocco]

Professional stress is a harmful physical and emotional reaction that can occur when tension exists between the requirements imposed on a person and the level of control that person may, or may not, have on the fulfillment of these requirements (essentially tension between what one is expected to achieve and what one can realistically achieve). At present, traffic accidents are considered to be a major social problem in Morocco. The authors aim to describe stress levels in taxi drivers and to study potential associated factors, in particular the risk of having an accident while driving. A questionnaire was administered in a cross sectional survey to a sample of 338 taxi drivers working in the city of Fes, Morocco. Stress was evaluated by using a standardized scale developed by the French National Institute of Research and Safety (INRS). It allows for the intensity of stress to be quantified according to a set of seven scores. According to the INRS scale, 46.3% of the taxi drivers could be considered as stressed. Moodiness and blood pressure problems were specifically identified as indicators of stress in this population. These results should incite interest in developing prevention measures in order to reduce or eliminate sources of stress at work in order to decrease the number of traffic accidents related to stress, and hence to improve the taxi drivers' working conditions.

Long working hours, safety, and health: toward a National Research Agenda

BACKGROUND

A significant and growing number of people work long hours. Research examining impacts is limited, but raises concerns about risks to the worker, the family, the employer, and the community. The purpose of this report, which is authored by the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Long Work Hours Team, is to motivate and guide future research by proposing a framework for studying long work hours and discussing research gaps.

METHODS

The NORA Long Work Hours Team examined research reports and literature reviews, and gathered input from a conference on long work hours organized by the Team and faculty from University of Maryland.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

A framework is proposed for long work hours, including determinants, outcomes, and moderating factors of long work hours, suggesting that studies need to include more clear and complete descriptions of work schedules, worker characteristics, and the work environment, and need to consider a wider range of possible health, safety, social and economic outcomes for workers, families, employers, and the community. Additional studies are needed on vulnerable employee groups and those critical to public safety. More studies are also needed to develop interventions and test their effectiveness.

Psychological stress and the human immune system: a meta-analytic study of 30 years of inquiry

The present report meta-analyzes more than 300 empirical articles describing a relationship between psychological stress and parameters of the immune system in human participants. Acute stressors (lasting minutes) were associated with potentially adaptive upregulation of some parameters of natural immunity and downregulation of some functions of specific immunity. Brief naturalistic stressors (such as exams) tended to suppress cellular immunity while preserving humoral immunity. Chronic stressors were associated with suppression of both cellular and humoral measures. Effects of event sequences varied according to the kind of event (trauma vs. loss). Subjective reports of stress generally did not associate with immune change. In some cases, physical vulnerability as a function of age or disease also increased vulnerability to immune change during stressors.

Psychological stress and the human immune system: a meta-analytic study of 30 years of inquiry

The present report meta-analyzes more than 300 empirical articles describing a relationship between psychological stress and parameters of the immune system in human participants. Acute stressors (lasting minutes) were associated with potentially adaptive upregulation of some parameters of natural immunity and downregulation of some functions of specific immunity. Brief naturalistic stressors (such as exams) tended to suppress cellular immunity while preserving humoral immunity. Chronic stressors were associated with suppression of both cellular and humoral measures. Effects of event sequences varied according to the kind of event (trauma vs. loss). Subjective reports of stress generally did not associate with immune change. In some cases, physical vulnerability as a function of age or disease also increased vulnerability to immune change during stressors.

Spermine-induced maturation in wistar rat intestine: a cytokine-dependent mechanism

OBJECTIVES

Polyamines are of great importance in biologic processes such as cell proliferation and differentiation. The ingestion of spermidine or spermine by suckling rats induces the precocious maturation of the small intestine. In a previous article, the authors hypothesized that this phenomenon could be mediated by interleukins. This work was performed to examine the role of IL-1, IL-2, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- alpha in the spermine-induced maturation of the small intestine.

METHODS

Wistar suckling rats were treated with spermine, FR167653 (inhibitor of IL-1beta/TNF-alpha production), IL-1beta/TNF-alpha neutralizing antibodies, lipopolysaccharide, or IL-2. Intestinal disaccharidase-specific activities, polyamine content, and IL-2 plasma concentration were analyzed. Comparisons were made with untreated control animals.

RESULTS

Spermine-induced maturation of the small intestine was decreased by FR167653 but not by the neutralizing antibodies. Lipopolysaccharide injection induced an increase in disaccharidase-specific activity. IL-2 induced a decrease of the intestinal lactase-specific activity. Spermine administration led to a similar decrease of lactase activity and to an increase of IL-2 plasma concentration.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors conclude that IL-1beta and TNF-alpha are involved in the spermine effects on maltase- and sucrase-specific activities and suggest that IL-2 is involved in the spermine-induced decrease of lactase activity.

Coenzyme Q10-containing composition (Immugen) protects against occupational and environmental stress in workers of the gas and oil industry

The manual workers of the gas-and-oil extraction industry are exposed to hostile environmental and occupational conditions, resulting in elevated mortality and disability, due to chronic neurological and cardiovascular diseases. We evaluated the degree of oxidative stress, often associated with these pathological features, in the blood of manual and office employees of Russian Siberian extraction plants, and their psycho-physiological conditions. Results showed increased levels of spontaneous (p < 0.05) and PMA-activated (p < 0.01) luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (LDCL) in the white blood cells (WBC), and decreased peroxynitrite levels (p < 0.05) in the group of manual workers, and less markedly in the clerks and technicians working on spot, vs. a control group of city clerks. Superoxide release by WBC, and plasma/WBC membrane ubiquinol levels did not display major differences in the three groups. A relevant percentage of manual/office workers of extraction platforms presented impaired cardiovascular and neurological functions. The short term administration of a nutraceutical formulation based on coenzyme10, vitamin E, selenium, methionine and phospholipids led to significant improvement of cardiovascular parameters and psycho-emotional status, consistent with the normalization of LDCL and peroxynitrite production by WBC, with a good compliance to treatment confirmed by the increased blood levels of ubiquinol.