Association of clinical findings in Yusho patients with serum concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated quarterphenyls and 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran more than 30 years after the poisoning event

Abstract

Background: The Yusho poisoning incident, which was caused by rice bran oil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated quarterphenyls (PCQs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) generated by heat denaturation of PCB, occurred in 1968 in western Japan. Annual physical, dermatological, dental, ophthalmological and laboratory examinations were conducted for Yusho patients after the incident. From 2001, blood levels of individual PCDF congeners were also measured. The blood levels of 2, 3,4,7,3,4,7,, PCBs and PCQs in Yusho patients were found to be significantly higher than those of the general population. We investigated the relationships between blood concentrations of 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, PCBs and PCQs in Yusho patients and the items measured in the annual medical examination.

Current skin symptoms of Yusho patients exposed to high levels of 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorinated dibenzofuran and polychlorinated biphenyls in 1968

“…The concentration of 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF in the blood of Yusho patients collected from 2001 to 2003 was significantly correlated with the incidences of acneiform eruptions, comedones and oral mucosal pigmentation (Imamura et al, 2007). The concentrations of 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, PCBs and polychlorinated quarterphenyls in blood collected from 2001 to 2004 tended to correlate with the prevalence of acneiform eruptions, black comedones, mucocutaneous pigmentation and hypersecretion of meibomian glands (Kanagawa et al, 2008). However, the severity of each manifestation has not been examined.…”

Non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB 101, PCB 153 and PCB 180) induce chondrocyte cell death through multiple pathways

“…Although there is evidence for a potential involvement of PCBs in cartilage pathophysiology, only few studies have analyzed the correlation between exposure to PCBs and pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. However, most of these studies have highlighted the presence of a strong positive correlation between high serum levels of PCBs, as a consequence of environmental poisoning, and the incidence of joint swelling and arthralgia (Kanagawa et al, 2008), as well as arthritis (Guo et al, 1999), mainly in women (Lee et al, 2007).…”

PCB126 induces apoptosis of chondrocytes via ROS-dependent pathways

“…The "Yusho" patients in Japan who were accidentally exposed to high levels of PCBs and furans after ingestion of contaminated rice oil commonly showed swelling of the joints and arthralgia. 3,4 The "Yucheng" cohort from a PCB exposure incident in Taiwan has arthritis four times higher than the unexposed subjects. 5 Recently, a strong positive association between background levels of PCB exposure and arthritis in women was reported.…”