Relationship between clinical features and blood levels of pentachlorodibenzofuran in patients with Yusho

Abstract

The mean blood level of 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (PeCDF) in 359 patients with Yusho was 177.50 pg/g lipids, which was much higher than that of normal controls (15.2 +/- 8.9 pg/g lipids). The blood levels of PeCDF were significantly correlated with total PCB levels, hexachlorobiphenyl levels, urinary sugar, 2-h erythrocyte sedimentation rate, thymol turbidity test, and sodium levels. A significant correlation was also noted with dermatological findings (acneform eruption and comedones), mucosal findings (oral pigmentation), constipation, numbness in the extremities, body weight loss, and abnormal abdominal ultrasonography. The incidence and severity of most of the dermatological and ophthalmological symptoms decreased from 1988 to 2001-2003. In conclusion, high amounts of PCBs and PeCDF are still present in a number of patients with Yusho. The patients still suffer from various mucocutaneous and subjective symptoms.

Current skin symptoms of Yusho patients exposed to high levels of 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorinated dibenzofuran and polychlorinated biphenyls in 1968

“…The concentration of 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF in the blood of Yusho patients collected from 2001 to 2003 was significantly correlated with the incidences of acneiform eruptions, comedones and oral mucosal pigmentation (Imamura et al, 2007). The concentrations of 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, PCBs and polychlorinated quarterphenyls in blood collected from 2001 to 2004 tended to correlate with the prevalence of acneiform eruptions, black comedones, mucocutaneous pigmentation and hypersecretion of meibomian glands (Kanagawa et al, 2008).…”

Loss of dioxin-receptor expression accelerates wound healing in vivo by a mechanism involving TGFβ

“…A recent report showed that constitutive activation of AhR and increased expression of Cyp1a1, Gsta1, Fos and TGFA are underlying factors in the development of chloracne in human subjects occupationally or accidentally exposed to significant doses of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Imamura et al, 2007;Tang et al, 2008). Regeneration studies in adult zebra fish have revealed that AhR2 activation by acute exposure to dioxin (TCDD,2,3,7,dioxin) impairs caudal (tail) fin regeneration (Andreasen et al, 2007), which suggests that AhR has an inhibitory role in tissue remodeling.…”

Yusho and its latest findings—A review in studies conducted by the Yusho Group

“…The concentration of 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF in the blood collected from Yusho patients from 2001 to 2003 was significantly correlated with the presence of comedones, acneiform eruption, oral pigmentation, and numbness of the hands and legs, total PCB levels, urinary sugar, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and so on (Imamura et al, 2007), the majority of which are included in the diagnostic criteria of Yusho (Table 1). Furthermore, the 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF level was found to be significantly related to arthralgia, the concentrations of PCBs to ophthalmologic symptoms, and the concentration of PCQ to increased total cholesterol (Kanagawa et al, 2008).…”

“…As the blood levels of dioxins, especially 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, are positively correlated with various symptoms of Yusho (Imamura et al, 2007;Kanagawa et al, 2008;Matsumoto et al, 2010a), several studies of the medicines that can accelerate the excretion of dioxins or convert dioxins to harmless metabolites have been performed. In experimental models, the oral administration of antidotes such as squalene or charcoal beads in rats increased the excretion of 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF by two to five times, compared with the level excreted in a control group (Yoshimura et al, 1985;Kamimura et al, 1988).…”