| |
2) Case-control study
Guo et al. (1999) studied 1144 yusho patients over 30 years of
age with a control group of 1135 subjects. The treatment
histories of the patients were obtained by interviews. Analysis
made on 795 exposed subjects and 693 control subjects resulted
in an odds ratio for skin allergy of 2.1 for men and 2.6 for
women.
3) Synchronic study
Reichrtova et al. (1999) selected 120 term birth infants
randomly out of 2050 in Slovakian industrial and rural areas.
Placental levels of chlorinated benzenes, organic pesticides and
PCBs were determined as an exposure index, as well as IgE in
cord blood. Analysis of 120 cases showed that cord blood IgE was
significantly associated with p,p'-DDE (r = 0.3294, P = 0.01)
and PCB118 (r = 0.3824, P = 0.006).
2. Other substances
No report was found except one by Reichrtova et al. on cord
blood IgE and p,p'-DDE mentioned above.
[Discussion and conclusions]
A study on yusho in Taiwan showed serious PCB exposure
associated with high incidence of allergic diseases of skin. A
Slovakian study also observed association of PCB exposure with
increased cord blood IgE level, suggesting relationship of PCB
exposure to allergic diseases. Two cohort studies (3 reports)
from Holland, however, state that exposure to background-level
PCBs or dioxins decreases allergy. It may seem that severe PCB
exposure of adults promote allergy while exposure to
background-level PCBs or dioxins of fetuses or infants
counteracts allergy, but the few reports do not provide a good
ground for any conclusion. It is recommended to conduct
prospective epidemiologic studies in Japan on this subject.
[Literature]
Table 2.13.1:
Cohort studies on the relationship of endocrine disruptors with
allergy
|
