title: Current skin symptoms of Yusho patients exposed to high levels of 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorinated dibenzofuran and polychlorinated biphenyls in 1968.
abstract: Yusho was a mass food poisoning event due to the ingestion of rice oil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and various dioxins and dioxin-like compounds. At its outbreak in 1968, Yusho patients suffered severe skin symptoms. Although the blood concentrations of PCBs and dioxins, especially highly toxic 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorinated dibenzofuran (2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF) remain high in these patients, extensive analysis has not been performed on their current skin symptoms. We categorized and evaluated the specific skin symptoms in Yusho in 2012 by grading their severity using an arbitrary scoring system, and analyzed their correlations with the blood concentrations of 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF and PCBs. A total of 352 Yusho patients underwent annual dermatological check-ups, in which five skin symptoms: black comedones, acneiform eruptions, scar formation, pigmentation and nail deformity, were evaluated for their distribution and severity. Approximately one-third of Yusho patients still presented with black comedones, acneiform eruptions and scar formation; the distributions of these symptoms were similar to those at the time of the Yusho outbreak. The mean blood concentrations of 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF and total PCBs in Yusho patients were still higher than those in controls. The prevalence and severity of black comedones were correlated with age. Severity scores of black comedones and scar formation were positively correlated with 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF blood level, and those of black comedones, scar formation, and pigmentation were positively correlated with total PCBs blood level. This study suggests that 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF and PCBs remaining in Yusho patients still play crucial roles in the development of skin symptoms in Yusho.
authors.affiliation: Research and Clinical Center for Yusho and Dioxin, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan. Electronic address: mchikage@dermatol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Chikage
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mitoma
authors.affiliation: Research and Clinical Center for Yusho and Dioxin, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mine
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Utani
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imafuku
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muto
authors.affiliation: Minoh City Health Care Facilities for the Elderly, Minoh, Japan.
authors.forename: Takamichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanekura
authors.affiliation: Research and Clinical Center for Yusho and Dioxin, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan; Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Masutaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furue
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uchi
mesh_terms: D001572:Benzofurans / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D011164:Porphyrias / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorinated dibenzofuran; Chloracne; Dioxins; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Skin; Yusho