Effect of Short-Term Exposure to Formalin on the Prostate Health of Medical Students in Okofia, Nnewi

Medical students exposed to formalin, a preservative used for cadavers, may face health risks during dissection lessons. This study assessed the levels of free prostate-specific antigen (fPSA), total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA), and the percentage of free prostate-specific antigen (%fPSA) in students at Nnamdi Azikiwe University's College of Health Sciences after three hours of exposure to formalin. Forty-five participants aged 18 to 30 were recruited for this study. Baseline samples taken before a 3-hour exposure served as control (pre-exposure), while samples collected afterward were classified as post-exposure (test). The levels of tPSA and fPSA were measured using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. For this analysis, the AccuBind Total and Free Prostate-Specific Antigen ELISA kit was utilized.The analysis using a paired samples t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient revealed a significant decrease in total PSA (tPSA) after formalin exposure, with mean values dropping from 0.88 ± 0.60 ng/ml to 0.67 ± 0.50 ng/ml (p < 0.05). However, no significant changes were found in free PSA (fPSA) levels or participants' blood pressure post-exposure (p > 0.05). There was no relationship between the Total PSA, Free PSA, % Free PSA and the Body Mass Index (BMI), Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure of the participants post-exposure to short-term formalin. It was concluded that a three-hour formalin exposure may at a certain dosage be a therapeutic agent to decrease raised total PSA levels which is sometimes indicative of prostate dysfunction. Keywords: short-term, formalin, exposure, prostate, health, medical, students, Nnewi