title: A cohort study on mortality and exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls.
abstract: In 1979, an outbreak of food poisoning ("Yu-Cheng") occurred in Central Taiwan, ROC, involving more than 2000 people. The event was caused by ingestion of rice oil contaminated with polychlorinated derivatives of biphenyls, dibenzofurans, and quaterphenyls. A retrospective cohort study on mortality was undertaken, and possible long-term health effects in the affected individuals were studied. The mortality experience of 1940 victims (929 males, 1011 females) between 1980 and 1991 was compared with the expected numbers, which were calculated from national and local mortality rates. By the end of 1991, 102 deaths were identified, thus producing a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of overall mortality of 0.99 for males and 1.34 for females. Total cancer mortality was lower than in each comparison group. Mortality from liver diseases was elevated significantly (SMR = 3.22), especially during the first 3 y after the food-poisoning event (SMR = 10.76). Increased clinical severity of polychlorinated biphenyl intoxication was associated with increased mortality from all causes and from liver diseases. In summary, there was a positive association between mortality and intoxication dose, and severe polychlorinated biphenyl poisoning acutely affected mainly the liver. A continued follow-up of this cohort would be valuable in the study of long-term health effects of polychlorinated biphenyl poisoning.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Medicine, School of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical College, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ko
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002423:Cause of Death; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000506:poisoning*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls