2001/08/01 by Alexandra Geusau, Klaus Abraham, Klaus Geißler +3 · 3 citations
Environmental Science · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Immunology and Microbiology · #Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact #Carcinogens and Genotoxicity Assessment #Immunotoxicology and immune responses
paper · doi:10.1289/ehp.01109865
openalex publication_date 2001/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
A variety of health effects have been attributed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), but little information is available on the course of a verified high-level TCDD intoxication. In this paper we describe two cases of heavy intoxication with TCDD and present a 2-year follow-up including clinical, biochemical, hematologic, endocrine, and immunologic parameters monitored in two women, 30 and 27 years of age, who suffered from chloracne due to TCDD intoxication of unknown origin. Patient 1, who had the highest TCDD level ever recorded in an individual (144,000 pg/g blood fat), developed severe generalized chloracne, whereas in the second patient, despite heavy intoxication (26,000 pg/g blood fat), only mild facial acne lesions occurred. Both patients initially experienced nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms. In Patient 1 we observed a moderate elevation of blood lipids, leukocytosis, anemia, and secondary amenorrhoea. The laboratory parameters in Patient 2 were all normal. Despite the high TCDD levels, apart from chloracne, only few clinical and biochemical health effects were observed within the first 2 years after TCDD intoxication.