Effects of Tobacco Cigarette Smoking on Some Hematological Parameters of Male Cigarette Smokers in Southern Nigeria

In Nigeria smoking is a common habit in both rural and urban areas. Cigarette smoking is associated with alterations in inflammatory markers among smokers and it affects various organs and tissues in the body including blood. Cigarette smoking is associated with development and progression of numerous chronic diseases worldwide. It is a known fact that smoking is one of the most important factors contributing to the evolution of atherosclerosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This study investigates the effects of smoking on haematological parameters among tobacco cigarette smokers in Southern Nigeria. A total of 150 smokers and 110 controls (non-smokers) within the age range of 20-50 years residing in Calabar metropolis of Cross River State, South-South, Nigeria were recruited. The smokers were apparently healthy males who were regular cigarette smokers who have at least smoked 100 cigarette sticks in their life time. Full blood count was done using Sysmex, kx-210 automated haematology analyser (Sysmex America, Illinois). The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was determined by westergren's method. The relative plasma viscosity was performed using the method of Bach et al. 1981. The tobacco cigarette smokers had significantly (p<0.05) higher haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, total white blood cell count, mixed cells, Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, relative plasma viscosity, mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width and significantly (p<0.05) lower neutrophil count as compared to controls. This study showed that smoking has negative effect on the haematopoietic system. The study has also shown that haematological parameters were altered in smokers and thus should be considered during diagnosis, interpretation of result and treatment of patients.