Association of Organophosphorus Pesticide and Glyphosate Exposure with Nasal Flora and Total IgE in Solar Greenhouse Workers: A Unique Farmer Group

Studies have shown that the presence of allergens, including insecticides, significantly increases the risk of occupational allergic diseases among solar greenhouse workers. However, no studies have yet investigated the relationship between organophosphorus pesticide use by greenhouse workers and allergic diseases, and the role of the flora in this context remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between combined exposure to organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) and Glyphosate (GLY) and changes in total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels, as well as to analyze the role of nasal flora in allergic status. We collected demographic data, urine, peripheral blood and nasal swab samples from 284 solar greenhouse workers. Six metabolites in urine were detected by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Total IgE concentration was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We then evaluated the association between OPs and GLY with total IgE levels using logistic regression analysis. In addition, 66 participants received 16S rDNA sequencing of nasal flora, followed by community diversity and species difference analyses to identify distinct microbial communities between normal and abnormal total IgE groups. A total of 284 participants were included in this study, of whom 132 (46.5%) and 152 (53.5%) were male and female, respectively. The median total IgE concentration in this population was 63.52 IU/mL, of which 89 (31.3%) belonged to the elevated total IgE group. Our results suggest that dimethylphosphorodithioate (DMDTP) was a risk factor for total IgE abnormality, and glyphosate (GLY) was positively associated with total IgE abnormality. Additionally, 20 differential flora were identified between the elevated and normal IgE groups, of which at least 7 were significantly associated with OPs, GLY and its metabolites. In conclusion, there was a positive correlation between exposure to OPs and GLY and total IgE abnormalities, as well as multiple nasal pathogenic flora.