PCBs, PCQs and PCDFs in blood of Yusho and Yu-Cheng patients

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/3429877· OSTI ID:5384188

Kashimoto, T; Miyata, H; Fukushima, S; Kunita, N; Ohi, G; Tung, T

Individual blood samples obtained from Yusho and Yu-Cheng patients who had been poisoned by ingesting contaminated cooking oils, from workers occupationally exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and from unexposed individuals were analyzed for PCBs, polychlorinated quaterphenyls (PCQs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. PCBs were found in the blood of all samples. PCQs were detected in the blood of 54 or 56 living Yusho patients 11 years after the outbreak, and in all Yu-Cheng patients 6 months following poisoning. These facts indicate that the presence of PCQs in the blood was a good mark of past ingestion of the toxic oil. In the Yu-Cheng cases, PCDFs as well as PCBs and PCQs were detected in all blood samples. These identified isomers have been reported to be remarkably highly toxic compounds, i.e., both the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorinated and 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorinated compounds are toxicologically hundreds to thousands of times more toxic than PCB. In view of the high toxicity of PCDFs found in the Yu-Cheng patients' blood, it is concluded that they are the primary causal agents of Yusho as well as of the Yu-Cheng incident.

• Research Organization: Osaka Prefectural Institute of Public Health, Japan
• OSTI ID: 5384188
• Journal Information: Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States) Vol. 59; ISSN EVHPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AROMATICS
ASIA
BENZOFURANS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CHEMISTRY
BODY FLUIDS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
ETIOLOGY
FURANS
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROCARBONS
INGESTION
INTAKE
ISLANDS
JAPAN
MATERIALS
OILS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PATIENTS
QUATERPHENYLS
SYMPTOMS
TAIWAN
VEGETABLE OILS