Dimethylacetamide-induced hepatic injuries among spandex fibre workers.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate clinical features of dimethylacetamide-induced hepatic injuries (DIHIs).


METHODS
Workers exposed to dimethylacetamide (DMAc) in two spandex factories were monitored for DIHI. We identified 38 DIHI cases as study subjects between 2001 and 2004. DMAc exposure was estimated with urinary N-methylacetamide (NMAc) results from 2003 to 2004.


RESULTS
All 38 cases showed hepatocellular-type liver injury. The interval between first exposure and identification of hepatic injury (latent period) was mostly less than two months and never exceeded six months. In addition, three repeat DIHI cases showed much shorter latent periods for recurrence than their initial latent periods of hepatic injury. A 50% decline of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels after the cessation of DMAc exposure took less than 14 days and a 90% decline less than 31 days. The median urinary NMAc level of DIHI group (samples from the department of DIHI cases) was 25.1 mg/g Cr; higher than that of all other urinary NMAc results (11.8 mg/g Cr).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that DMAc can induce hepatocellular-type liver injury and the mechanism of DIHI may be idiosyncratic. Although our exposure estimation was incomplete, the workers with DIHIs might be exposed to higher levels of environmental DMAc than the workers who did not develop DIHIs. All workers exposed to DMAc need to be closely observed for occurrence of hepatic injury for at least six months.
Jung
Sang-Jae
SJ
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Gumi CHA Medical Center, College of Medicine, Pochon CHA University, Gumi, South Korea.
Lee
Chae-Yong
CY
Kim
Seong-Ah
SA
Park
Ki-Soo
KS
Ha
Bong-Goo
BG
Kim
Jinseok
J
Yu
Jay-Young
JY
Choi
Taesung
T
D000081:Acetamides / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011140:Polyurethanes; D012997:Solvents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D000081:Acetamides; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D011140:Polyurethanes; D012997:Solvents; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; C013959:dimethylacetamide; C018595:N-methylacetamide