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Urinary Porphyrin Excretion in a Human Population Highly Exposed to Hexachlorobenzene
Carmen Herrero, MD;
Dolores Ozalla, PhD;
Maria Sala, MD;
Raquel Otero, PhD;
Maria Santiago-Silva, PhD;
Mario Lecha, MD;
Jordi To-Figueras, PhD;
Ramon Deulofeu, PhD;
Jose Maria Mascaró, MD;
Joan Grimalt, PhD;
Jordi Sunyer, MD
Arch Dermatol. 1999;135:400-404.
Background Data from an epidemic reported in Turkey (1955-1959) is the only information about the relationship between hexachlorobenzene (HCB) intake and porphyria cutanea tarda in humans. No information is available on the HCB threshold exposure level to induce porphyria cutanea tarda.
Objectives To study HCB serum levels and urinary porphyrin excretion in the inhabitants of a village located near an organochlorine compound factory with high HCB concentrations in the air and to detect possible alterations in urinary porphyrin excretion and examine their relationship with HCB serum levels.
Design Cross-sectional study.
Setting Unit of Porphyrias of a tertiary care facility in Barcelona, Spain.
Participants Six hundred four inhabitants of the village who were older than 14 years provided serum and urine samples (185 participants were factory workers).
Main Outcome Measures: Serum HCB was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to electron capture detection. Quantification of urinary total porphyrins was performed by spectrofluorimetry. Porphyrin profile was determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography.
Results Hexachlorobenzene was detected in all serum samples (mean, 39.8 ng/mL; range, 1.1-1616.0 ng/mL), and levels were higher in factory workers. Mean±SD level urinary total porphyrin average concentration was 98±69 nmol/L (range, 9-1009 nmol/L). Only the urine sample with the highest porphyrin concentration showed an increase of highly carboxylated porphyrins, with a typical profile of porphyria cutanea tarda. In the remaining 603 urine samples, coproporphyrin was the predominant fraction.
Conclusion The airborne exposure to and increased body burden of HCB in the Flix village population are not enough to trigger a significant alteration of the heme biosynthesis pathway.
From the Department of Dermatology, August Pi-Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (Drs Herrero, Ozalla, Lecha, and Mascaró), the Toxicology Unit (Dr To-Figueras) and the Department of Biochemistry (Dr Deulofeu), Hospital Clínic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona; the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Medical Research Municipal Institute of Barcelona (Drs Sala and Sunyer); and the Department of Environmental Chemistry, Scientific Research Superior Council (Drs Otero, Santiago-Silva, and Grimalt), Barcelona, Spain.
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