Plasma concentration of adrenocorticotropic hormone in traffic policemen.

The aim of this study is to evaluate whether traffic policemen exposed to urban pollutants and possible psycho-social stressors could be at risk of changes on plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH(P)] levels compared to a control group. Traffic policemen were matched by sex, age, length of service and drinking habit (<50 g of wine or beer per day) with a control group after excluding principal confounding factors; 62 traffic policemen with outdoor activity (34 men and 28 women) and 62 control subjects with indoor activity (34 men and 28 women) were included in the study. The levels of ACTH(P) were significantly higher in male and female traffic policemen than in the control subjects (respectively P=0.040, P=0.043). The authors hypothesise that occupational exposure to chemical and physical stressors, that may interact with possible psycho-social stressors, could cause a change in ACTH(P) levels in traffic policemen.