Research on the mechanism of generalized skin reaction caused by trichloroethylene exposure

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After banning of chlorofluorocarbons and 1,1,1-trichloroethane, various kinds of solvents have been used as substitutes for the above degreasing agents in great demand. As a result, in the developing Asian countries where the rapid industrialization goes far beyond the development of the occupational health system, there have been epidemics of unexpected health disorders (severe skin and liver disorders due to trichloroethylene, TRI) resulting from the introduction of the alternatives. It is notable that TRI, of which the consumed amount dramatically decreased in Japan, is widely used as an alternative solvent in China and has become a cause of this new occupational disease. Especially in Guangdong Province, 208 patients (including 29 fatalities) suffered from the disorders until 2004. While TRI was mainly used as degreaser for metal parts, lens, and semiconductors in the developed countries, there have been only limited number of reports about the disorders. Thus clarifying the mechan … More ism and establishing the preventive measures are urgent issues.We have conducted international collaborative study since 2003 with Hospital for Occupational Diseases Control of Guangdong Province. We investigated TRI exposure levels of the colleague in the company, where the patients worked, by measuring personal exposure levels as well as the urinary metabolites of trichloroethylene. Many workers engaged in their work at higher TRI exposure level than the Occupational Exposure limits in Japan. Many patients with generalized skin reaction were thought to work at the higher exposure levels than the limits in Japan, judging from their urinary metabolites of trichloroethylene.As for the immunological analysis for the infection by several kinds of virus, there are many patients (14/59) with positive for anti-human herpes virus 6 (HHV6). Interestingly, no positive subjects were seen in the control group. These results suggest that reactivation of HHV6 may be induced in these patients, but the relationship to the development of these diseases are still unknown. Less