Variation in half-life of penta-chlorodibenzofuran (PeCDF) blood level among Yusho patients.
Yusho (oil disease) is the name given to a food poisoning incident caused by rice bran oil that occurred in west Japan in 1968. The causative agents of Yusho are currently considered to be polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and their by-products, such as dioxin like compounds. The levels of 2,3,4,7,8-penta-cholorodibenzofuran (PeCDF) are measured in the blood of Yusho patients who attend medical check-ups. The objectives of this study were to determine the half-life of PeCDF in these patients. Linear regression analysis was performed with the binary logarithm of PeCDF blood levels in Yusho patients as the dependent variable and the measurement year as the independent variable. The linear coefficient determined in this analysis is the reciprocal of the half-life. The half-life of PeCDF varied among patients. Among patients with PeCDF blood levels of 50pgg(-1) or higher, there were two groups: one showing a half-life of approximately 7 years and the other showing no reduction in PeCDF levels over time. The results indicate that there is a group of patients whose PeCDF levels are maintained at a high level. Our study suggests that a more complicated model is required to explain PeCDF excretion in humans.
Matsumoto
Shinya
S
Department of Planning Information and Management, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. shinyamatsumoto-tky@umin.ac.jp
Akahane
Manabu
M
Kanagawa
Yoshiyuki
Y
Koike
Soichi
S
Yoshimura
Takesumi
T
Mitoma
Chikage
C
Shibata
Satoko
S
Uchi
Hiroshi
H
Furue
Masutaka
M
Imamura
Tomoaki
T
D001572:Benzofurans / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000097:blood; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000506:poisoning*
D001572:Benzofurans; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; C038890:2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran