Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and non-ortho and mono-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls in blood of Yusho patients.
We measured the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), non-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (non-ortho PCBs) and mono-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (mono-ortho PCBs) in blood collected from 279 Yusho patients living in Japan, 92 Yusho-suspected persons living in Japan and 127 normal controls living in Fukuoka Prefecture, and compared among the groups in terms the concentrations of these compounds. The total toxic equivalents (TEQ) concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, non-ortho PCBs, and mono-ortho PCBs in the bloods of Yusho patients and Yusho-suspected persons were 161.4 and 51.2 pg TEQ/g lipid, respectively and were about 3.5 and 1.1 times higher than those of normal controls, respectively. Although the TEQ concentrations of PCDDs, non-ortho PCBs, and mono-ortho PCBs among Yusho patients, Yusho-suspected persons and normal controls were nearly the same, the PCDFs levels of Yusho patients were significantly higher than those of Yusho-suspected persons and about 10.3 times higher than those of normal controls. In Yusho patients, PCDFs contributed about 65% to the total TEQ concentration. Among the PCDFs congeners for Yusho patients, the concentration of 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (PeCDF) was about 11.3 times higher than that of normal controls. These findings indicated that Yusho patients even now, more than 34 years after the outbreak of Yusho, have much higher blood levels of 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF in general than do unaffected persons.
Todaka
Takashi
T
Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan. todaka@fihes.pref.fukuoka.jp
Hirakawa
Hironori
H
Hori
Tsuguhide
T
Tobiishi
Kazuhiro
K
Iida
Takao
T
Furue
Masutaka
M
D001572:Benzofurans / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry
D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls