[Pathological and biochemical studies of 30 Niigata autopsy cases related to Minamata disease].
OBJECTIVE
To reevaluate pathologically and biochemically 30 autopsy cases related to Minamata disease (MD) in Niigata Prefecture (NP) and compare the findings with those of autopsy cases related to MD in Kumamoto Prefecture (KP).


METHODS
Recently, a set of pathological materials of these 30 autopsy cases has been sent from the Brain Research Institute at the University of Niigata to the National Institute for Minamata Disease (NIMD). The materials from each autopsy case were reexamined at the NIMD.


RESULTS
There were no postnatal and fetal cases of MD in the NP autopsy materials. The contents of total mercury (T-Hg), methylmercury (Me-Hg), inorganic mercury (I-Hg) and selenium were measured in the organs of cerebrum, cerebellum, liver and kidney. The contents of T-Hg, Me-Hg and I-Hg were much higher in two cases than in controls. The pathological findings leading to the diagnosis of MD in the NP cases were essentially the same as those in KP, including the peripheral nerve lesions. In the most severely affected case of MD in NP, formation of multiple vacuoles of various sizes was observed in the cerebellar cortex, which was never encountered in the KP cases. The KP lesions were similar to that observed in an acute case of Me-Hg-treated common marmoset studied in the NIMD.


CONCLUSIONS
The pathological features were essentially the same between the adult cases of MD in NP and KP.
Eto
Komyo
K
f National Institute for Minamata Disease, 4058-18 Hama, Minamata City, Kumamoto 867-0008, Japan. kometo@nimd.go.jp
Takahashi
Hitoshi
H
Kakita
Akiyoshi
A
Tokunaga
Hidehiro
H
Yasutake
Akira
A
Nakano
Atsuhiro
A
Sawada
Masumi
M
Kinjo
Yoshihide
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000473:pathology*; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D017669:Mercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D020262:Mercury Poisoning, Nervous System / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D017669:Mercury Compounds; D012643:Selenium