Research Article
Trichloroethylene-Induced Hypersensitivity Syndrome: A Disease Caused by Metabolites
Yongshun Huang*, Qifeng Wu, Lihua Xia, Zifang Zeng and Hanlin HuangInstitute of Occupational Medicine, Guangdong Province Hospital for Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment, Guangzhou, China
- *Corresponding Author:
- Yongshun huang
Institute of Occupational Medicine
Guangdong Province Hospital for Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment
Haikang Street, Xingangxi Road, Haizhu district
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Tel: 86-20 34063101
Fax: 86-20 84189225
E-mail: gdpcc2006@126.com
Received date: January 24, 2014; Accepted date: February 12, 2014; Published date: February 19, 2014
Citation: Huang Y, Wu Q, Xia L, Zeng Z, Huang H (2014) Trichloroethylene-Induced Hypersensitivity Syndrome: A Disease Caused by Metabolites. Occup Med Health Aff 2:150. doi: 10.4172/2329-6879.1000150
Copyright: © 2014 Huang Y, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Patients suffering from a hypersensitivity syndrome (HS) caused by Trichloroethylene (TCE) have been reported mainly in Asian countries. However, due to its reported extremely low incidence rate, it’s rarely to encounter two patients from the same factory. We hospitalized two male cases who suffered from TCE-induced HS. Both patients developed exfoliative dermatitis, fever and liver dysfunction after unequivocal TCE exposure. Depending on the extent of their rash and liver injury, both patients were administered large doses of methylprednisolone intravenously with a tapering dose every 2 to 5 days. For the follow-up study, Ophthalmic examinations (Tear Breakup Time, Schirmer Test) were abnormal. TCE-induced HS patients can be successfully treated with appropriate glucocorticoid, although xerophthalmia may continue as sequelae. Patch testing was positive for Chloral hydrate, Trichloroethanol and Trichloroacetic acid but not TCE. The positive results suggest that Chloral hydrate, Trichloroethanol and Trichloroacetic acid (metabolites of TCE) are responsible for the hypersensitivity.
