RESUMEN
Immunohistological and histopathological methods were used to highlight the importance of cell damages and some biomarkers for health risk assessment. A comparative study between 3 sites of the lagoons showed that the most polluted areas (Adiake and Ebrah), influenced by human activities, presented more damaged cells and stained cells in gills and livers of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus than the less polluted area (Layo): gill cell hyperplasia and liver cells vacuolation were more evident in fish from Adiake than in fish from Ebrah and Layo. The percentage of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells in gill were 45.8 % ± 23.7 % for Adiake, 18.2 % ± 4.6 % for Ebrah and 11.4 % ± 6.51 % for Layo; The percentage of PCNA-positive in liver cells were 3.8 % ± 3.6 % for Adiake, 4.9 % ± 4.7 % for Ebrah and 2.6 % ± 2.5 % for Layo. Gills were more affected than livers. The Adiake site was the most contaminated area of the lagoon complex of Cote d'Ivoire.