title: Aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents in chemically sensitive patients.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to see if chemically sensitive individuals had aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents as part of their total body load. This was done by measuring blood levels from 85 chemically sensitive patients. These were measured by a purging trap method with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GCC/MS) by the methods of Laseter. Thirteen patients had blood levels below the detection limit of less than 1 ppb and 72 were above the detection limit. An average of three solvents, out of seven measured, including n-pentane, 2,2-dimethylbutane, cyclopentane, 2-methylpentane, 3-methylpentane, n-hexane, n-heptane, was found in 85% of the patients' blood on the 1 to 299 ppb range. The means were as follows: n-pentane 14.7 ppb, 2,2-dimethylbutane 2.5 ppb, cyclopentane 9.0 ppb, 2-methylpentane 16.7 ppb, 3-methylpentane 28.0 ppb, n-heptane 5.5 ppb. The most frequently found of the above solvents was 2-methylpentane (found in 68.1% of the patients), 3-methylpentane (62.5%), n-hexane (61.1%), and pentane (40.3%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy, Pekin Union Medical College Hospital, Beijin, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Rea
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D012997:Solvents / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons; D012997:Solvents